Inspiration strikes.
Copyright © 2015 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.
Introduction Thank you for choosing the Bolt VS-260S TTL Autofocus Flash. This flash unit combines a compact design with versatile features to give you both automatic ease of use and creative lighting control.
| Contents
Contents Overview ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6–7 Warnings ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8–10 Installing Batteries ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 10–11 Mounting the Flash
1 2 OFF ON 8 6 TTL OK TEST/ READY 7 5 6 | Overview PU CK LOSH 4
Overview 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Warnings Before using your VS-260S, please read the following safety notices carefully and thoroughly to ensure safe use, and to help prevent damage to your flash or injury to yourself or others. • Do not fire the flash at close range directly into the eyes of people or animals. This can cause damage to the retina and may even lead to blindness. • To avoid overheating and damaging your flash unit, please wait for at least 10 minutes after 20 continuous flashes at full power.
• Install batteries in the proper orientation, according to the indicator in the battery chamber. Installing batteries in the reverse orientation could cause them to leak, overheat, or explode. • Do not use or store the VS-260S in flammable conditions (such as environments containing flammable gases or liquid chemicals). This could damage the flash, start a fire, or cause an electric shock.
• Keep the metal contacts in the battery compartment clean and free of corrosion and dirt. Do not touch them with your fingers. Corrosive elements on the contacts can damage the VS-260S and prevent it from 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, overheat, or explode.
To install batteries, make sure the VS-260S is turned off and follow these steps: 1. 2. 3. Press on the battery compartment cover and slide it in the direction of the arrow. Insert batteries in the orientations indicated inside the compartment. Replace the battery compartment cover by pressing and sliding it into place, in the opposite direction of the arrow on the cover.
Important! Replace both batteries at the same time. Do not mix battery types or brands, or use old and new batteries together. Mounting the Flash VS-260S To mount the VS-260S on your camera, follow these steps: 1. 2. 3. Make sure that the flash is turned off. Slide the mounting foot all the way into your camera’s hot shoe. The lock will automatically engage and hold the flash in place.
To dismount the flash from your camera, follow these steps: 1. 2. Make sure that the flash is turned off. Push the lock release button in while simultaneously sliding the mounting foot out of your camera’s hot shoe.
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 when you press the shutter-release button halfway. To fire a test flash, press the Ready light / Test button.
Taking Photos When the VS-260S is mounted on a compatible camera, it will set the appropriate flash level automatically, in conjunction with the camera’s through-the-lens (TTL) metering system. For information about your camera’s flash sync speed range (the shutter speed range your camera will allow you to use when taking flash photos), consult your camera manual. To take photographs with the flash, turn the flash and camera on and follow these steps: 1. 2.
Using Red-Eye Reduction The VS-260S supports red-eye reduction mode, which is set automatically by your camera. Consult your camera’s manual for more information about this feature. Using Flash Exposure Compensation You can use flash exposure compensation to adjust the VS-260S’s flash output incrementally, just as you would adjust exposure with the exposure compensation function on your camera.
The flash exposure compensation range and controls vary between different camera models. Consult your camera’s manual for more information about this feature. Using the Autofocus-Assist Light Camera autofocus systems can have difficulty locking on a subject in dim light. When the ambient light level is low, the VS-260S 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 on the projected light.
Bouncing Your Flash Using flash to directly illuminate a subject often creates harsh, unnatural, and unattractive shadows. To avoid this, the flash can be tilted up, allowing you to aim it 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-260S flash head can be tilted up at 45-, 60-, 75-, and 90-degree angles to the lens. When bouncing your flash, you may need to adjust your exposure settings, since the level of light falling on your subject will be reduced. The farther away the bounce surface and your subject are, the more illumination will be reduced. Tip: Bouncing your flash off of colored surfaces can create a color cast in your images.
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.
Troubleshooting Problem Solution The flash is stuck in the camera hot shoe. Make sure that the mounting foot lock is released. The flash is turned on but won’t fire. Make sure that fresh batteries are installed and in the proper orientation. The edges of images look dark. Your lens angle of view is wider than the flash angle of coverage. Use a lens with a longer focal length. There’s a whining sound coming from the flash. This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction.
Specifications Type: On-camera TTL automatic flash Compatible cameras: Sony cameras with TTL flash system support and a standard Sony hot shoe Guide number (at ISO 100): 72 feet / 22 meters Flash coverage: Equivalent to a 35mm lens on a 35mm-format camera Flash duration: 1/2,000–1/40,000 second Flash recycle time: 0.3–10 seconds Power source: 2 AA lithium, Ni-MH, or alkaline batteries Number of flashes with fresh batteries: Approx.
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.
www.boltflashes.
