VM-1000 TTL MACRO FLASH SET User Manual
Thank you for choosing Bolt. Table of Contents The Bolt VM-1000 is a full-featured wireless macro flash for your Nikon, Canon, or Sony camera. This advanced digital flash system puts creative control in your hands with a broad range of automatic and manual features. It can be used to illuminate close-up subjects with multi-flash setups and flexible wireless communication.
Precautions ⚠⚡ • Before using this product, please thoroughly read the • following safety notices to ensure safe use and help • • • Keep this product and its batteries out of the reach of children. prevent damage to your flash or injury to yourself and • Use only the power sources specified in this manual. others. • Always switch the flash off before changing the batteries.
• • Do not use or store this product in flammable conditions touch any exposed interior metal parts. If touched, they may generate an electric shock or cause a malfunction. or cause an electric shock. Promptly remove the batteries, and take the product to This product is not water resistant. Keep it away from an authorized service center for repair. • If you detect a burning smell, smoke, or excessive heat and remove the batteries to prevent the product from igniting or melting.
Contents • • • Keep the metal contacts in the battery compartment • VM-1010 TTL Macro Flash (×2) clean and free of corrosion and dirt. Do not touch them • VM-1020 TTL Transceiver with your fingers. Corrosive elements on the contacts • Flash mounting ring can damage this product and prevent it from functioning • Transceiver mini stand properly. Contacts may be cleaned with isopropyl • Macro Flash stand (×2) alcohol on a cotton swab.
Overview Macro Flash VM-1010 1 Group LED indicators 2 Luminance LED indicators 3 Macro TTL LED indicator 4 S1/S2 LED indicators 5 Channel LED indicators 6 Group / < button 7 LED focus assist light / flash test button 8 Set button 9 Power button 10 Channel / > button 11 LED status indicator 12 Battery cover 13 Mounting-foot lock 6 | Overview 14 15 16 17 18 19 Mounting foot Flash sensor LED assist lamps Diffuser notches USB interface Slide release
1 2 3 4 ID 0000 A B C GROUP 1 1/4 11 12 15 16 17 18 S2 S1 1/64 1/32 1/16 1/8 5 1/2 1/1 2 3 4 CHANNEL 13 19 14 6 7 8 9 10 Overview | 7
Transceiver VM-1020 1 Power button 2 LED focus assist button 3 Flash test LED indicator/button 4 Adjustment dial 5 Info button 6 Mode button 7 Set button 8 Group button 9 LCD 10 1/4-20 socket 11 Hot shoe 12 Link indicator LED 8 | Overview 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Battery compartment button Battery compartment door LED focus assist Mounting foot Collar-lock release button Foot-collar lock USB port 2.
12 11 10 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 16 17 18 19 20 Overview | 9
Flash Mounting Ring 1 Ring release button (×2) 2 Flash holder ring Diffuser 3 Notch windows Shoe Adapter 4 Foot mount 5 Locking wheel 6 Mounting foot 10 | Overview Flash Stand 7 Cold shoe 8 1/4-20 socket 9 Foot mount
3 4 5 6 1 2 7 9 8 Overview | 11
Battery Installation VM-1010 1. Push and slide out the battery compartment door in the direction of the arrow. 2. Insert the batteries with the correct polarity orientation. 3. Slide the battery door closed until it’s secure.
VM-1020 1. Press the battery compartment button to open the door. 2. Insert the batteries on top of the release pull, with the correct polarity as shown inside the compartment. 3. Close the compartment door until secure. 1 Note: When the batteries are low on power, the battery icon will blink. If the batteries are out of power, the screen displays NO POWER, and the unit will turn off.
Transceiver and Flash Setup Mounting the Transceiver to a Camera 1. Press the collar-lock release button, and slide the collar to the left to unlock. 2. Insert the mounting foot into your camera’s hot shoe. 3. Slide the collar to the right until it clicks and is locked. 3 Mounting the Transceiver to a Stand Mini Stand 1. Make sure the transceiver’s collar lock is in the unlocked position. 2. Slide the transceiver into the mini-stand’s cold shoe, and slide the collar to the right until it locks.
Light Stand You can mount the transceiver to a light stand, using the mini-stand or transceiver’s 1/4-20 socket. 1. Screw the mini stand on to a light stand using the 1/4-20 mount. 2. Attach the transceiver to the mini-stand’s cold shoe, and slide the collar lock to the right until secure. Alternatively, you can screw the transceiver’s 1/4-20 socket to a wide variety of grips and mounting hardware.
Mounting the Macro Flash Setting Up the Flash Mounting Ring 1. Choose the lens adapter (52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, or 77 mm) that fits your lens, and screw it onto the lens’s filter threads. 2. Squeeze the ring release buttons, seat the flash mounting ring over the lens adapter, and release. Wiggle the mounting ring a little to make sure it’s secure.
3. Seat the flash’s mounting foot into the ring’s flash holder, and slide the foot lock down to secure. Use the slide release buttons to adjust the flash’s postion around the ring. 3 Mounting the Flash to the Flash Stand 1. Hook the flash’s mounting foot into the stand, and seat the foot into the flash stand. 2. Slide the lock down to secure.
Using the Shoe Adapter 1. Hook the flash’s mounting foot into the shoe adapter’s foot mount. 2. Slide the lock down to secure. 3. Slide the shoe adapter’s foot into the cold shoe of the flash stand. 4. Rotate the locking wheel clockwise until secure. Adjusting the Flash Angle You can adjust the flash head to angles of -45° to 60°.
Attaching a Diffuser Diffuser Attach the diffuser over the diffuser notches. Make sure they line up with the diffuser notch windows. Soft Diffuser You can attach the soft diffuser over the diffuser or directly to the flash head. Make sure the soft diffuser is in the correct orientation. Using the Gels A collection of nine color gels are included with each flash, so you can change the flash color temperature. 1. Insert a gel inside the diffuser. 2. Attach the diffuser to the front of the flash.
VM-1010 Flash Settings and Controls TTL/Macro Mode Press and hold the power button [ Group A, and Channel 1. ] to turn the flash on. LED indicators will light up for TTL/Macro mode, To cycle through groups A, B, and C, press Group [ [ ]. ]. To cycle through channels 1, 2, 3, and 4, press Channel Note: When using the flashes with the transceiver, you must make sure to set them all to the same channel and group.
S1/S2 Slave Modes In the S1/S2 Slave modes, the VM-1010 is set to be optically triggered by an external flash source. The S1 mode fires on any flash, while the S2 mode ignores the preflash and fires on the second flash. You will set the flash power manually when using these modes. 1. Press the Set button [ ] to switch to the S1 or S2 mode. 2. Press [ ] or [ ] buttons to increase or decrease the flash output power.
VM-1020 Transceiver Settings and Controls Press and hold the power button [ ] until the Flash Test button lights up, and the LCD displays the flash settings. Any changes to the settings will be saved after eight seconds of inactivity. Pressing the Info [ ] and Mode [ ] buttons at the same time will reset all setting and parameter changes. Group Mode Group mode allows you to use automatic TTL settings or have manual control over groups A/B/C. Set flash power, focal distance, or overall group compensation.
1. Press the Mode [ ] button to switch to Group mode. 2. Press the Group [ ] button to highlight and enter group selection, and use the Adjustment dial to select the groups A/B/C. Make sure the VM-1010 flashes are set to the same group. 3. Press the Set [ ] button once to select the group flash mode. Use the adjustment dial to select TTL, M, or Off. 4. Press the Set [ ] button again to change the flash compensation or power.
Setting the Wireless Channel 1. Press the Info [ ] button once, and the wireless channel will blink. Use the adjustment dial to change the channel from 1 to 16. 2. Press the Set [ ] button to confirm. Keep in mind the VM-1010 macro flashes operate on channels 1 to 4, and the transceiver must be set to one of the corresponding channels. Global EV +0.1 A M 1/128 Auto +0.3 B TTL Auto +0.
1. Press the Info [ ] button twice until the first 0 of the ID is blinking. Use the adjustment dial to change values. 2. Press the Info [ ] button again for each additional digit of the ID, and use the adjustment dial to change the value. 3. Press the Set [ ] button to confirm. Global EV Compensation The global EV compensation allows you to apply the same exposure value adjustment to all groups, independent of the flash power set for each one.
Multi Mode (Canon Only) Multi mode fires the flash repeatedly during a single exposure, creating a multi-exposure effect. Use this feature to capture stroboscopic photos of a dancer leaping across a stage or a golfer swinging a driver. To use Multi mode, you’ll need a second VM-1020 transceiver along with a Canon Speedlite. Multi Mode MULTI A 1/32 015 180Hz B 1/64 C 1/128 MASTER CH01 9999 Flash Groups Flash Power # of Flashes Frequency 1. Press the Mode [ ] button to switch to Multi mode. 2.
3. Press the Set [ ] button to highlight and change the flash group’s power. Use the Adjustment dial to select the power level in six steps from 1/4 to 1/128. 4. Press the Info [ ] button until the number of shots is flashing. Use the Adjustment dial to select the number of shots from 0 to 90 (selection is based on the camera’s shutter speed). 5. Press the Info [ ] button until the frequency of shots is flashing. Use the Adjustment dial to select the frequency from 1 to 199 Hz. 6.
TTL Ratio Mode This mode allows you to set power ratios between groups A and B. Group C works independently and offers TTL, manual, or off modes. For example, if you set a ratio of 1:2 between groups A and B, group B will fire with two times more power than group A. TTL Mode ITTL +0.1 A:B 8:1 Auto 85mm C TTL +0.3 MASTER CH01 9999 Flash Groups Flash Group Ratios Zoom 1. Press the Mode [ ] button to switch to TTL mode. 2.
5. Press the Set [ ] button again to confirm the group A:B settings. You can change Group C settings according to the instructions in Group Mode above. To set the wireless channel and ID number, as well as the overall group compensation, see Setting the Wireless Channel, Setting the Wireless ID, and Global EV Compensation above. Slave Mode In this mode, the transceiver acts a slave, and it receives flash information from the master unit.
1. With the unit powered on, press the power [ ] button once to enter Slave mode. 2. Press the Group [ ] button to cycle through groups A/B/C. 3. Press the Info [ ] button to change the wireless channel and ID (see Setting the Wireless Channel and Setting the Wireless ID above). LED Focus Assist Press the LED Focus Assist [ ] button to turn on the transceiver’s LED focus assist light. Use the adjustment dial to change the power level.
Flash Test Press the Flash Test [ is linked correctly. ] button to fire off a test flash from all the flashes in your setup. This ensures everything Triggering a Studio Light You can wirelessly trigger a studio light using the VM-1020’s 2.5 mm sync port and the master/slave setup between multiple transceivers. Sleep Mode When the VM-1020 is idle for ninety seconds, the unit will enter sleep mode. Press any button to wake the VM-1020.
Specifications Transceiver (VM-1020) Operating Frequency: 2.4 GHz Operating Distance: 98 ft. (30 m) Groups: 3 Channels: 16 Battery Type: AA High-Speed Sync: 1/8000 LED Light Output: 5500 K ±200 K, Ra 90 LED Focus Assist Output: 1.2 to 2 W Manual Output: 1/128 to 1/1 in 1/3 increments TTL Output: ±3 in 1/3 increments Antenna: Built-in PCB Output Ports: 2.
Macro Flash (VM-1010) Guide Number: 10 (ISO 100 m) / 14 (ISO 200 m) LED Light: 0.5 W, 5500 K ±200 K, RA 90 Groups: 3 Channels: 4 S1/S2 Distance: Indoor: 65.6 ft. (20 m) Outdoor: 32.8 ft. (10 m) Wireless Frequency: 2.4 GHz Wireless Distance: 328 ft. (100 m) Cover Angle: -45° to 60° Recycle Time: 4 sec. at 1/1 output Battery Type: AAA Operating Temperature: 10°F to 122°F (-10°C to 50°C) Storage Temperature: -4°F to 158°F (-20°C to 70°C) Dimensions (H × W × D): 2.8 × 3 × 2.4 in. (7.1 × 7.
Troubleshooting Problem Solution The VM-1000 does Replace the batteries. (Note: If the batteries are low, replace both batteries at the same time. Do not not turn on. use different brands or types of batteries.) Make sure that the batteries are inserted into the battery compartment with the correct polarity orientation. The slave units do Make sure that all VM-1010 and VM-1020 units are set to the same channel and group. Make sure not fire. channel ID numbers are set appropriately.
Firmware Upgrade FCC Compliance Visit www.boltflashes.com for more information on the latest firmware version. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: Connect the VM-1010’s and VM-1020’s USB ports to a computer, and follow the instructions for downloading and installing the latest firmware version. 1. This device may not cause harmful interference. 2.
One-Year Limited Warranty This BOLT product is warranted to the original purchaser to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal consumer use for a period of one (1) year from the original purchase date or thirty (30) days after replacement, whichever occurs later.
