VC-500WL/VC-500WL220V Digital Monolight INSTRUCTIONS
Introduction Thank you for choosing the Impact Digital Monolight. This professional-grade studio lighting unit has a user-replaceable 250W halogen modeling light, 500 w/s flash tube, and a lightning-fast 1.5 second recycle time. The monolight is constructed with a durable housing, intelligent adaptive thermal control, and CMOS chip circuitry. The powerful Digital Monolight also has an integrated 2.4 GHz, 16-channel wireless radio receiver.
Features • • • • • • • • Fast recycle time and flash duration Integrated 2.
Precautions ⚠⚡ Please read and follow these instructions and keep this manual in a safe place. 4 • DANGER: high-voltage parts inside. • There are no serviceable parts inside the unit. Only qualified service engineers should access the inside of the casing. • If the flash tube or modeling light becomes cracked or damaged in any way, replace immediately. • Keep this product away from water and any flammable gases or liquids. • Use only the correct, recommended voltage.
Overview Front Side: 1. Monolight 2. Mount release 3. Modeling lamp 4. Reflector 5. Flashtube Top Side: 6.
Overview Back Side: 1. LCD screen 2. Slave mode button 3. Power input jack 4. Fuse bay 5. Modeling lamp output buttons 6. Audio button 7. Test button 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 6.
Remote Guide (Kit Only) Top: 1. 2. 3. 4. Left Side: 6. 3.5 mm sync port Up button Down button Test button Group indicators Bottom: 7. Hot-shoe mount 8. Battery compartment 9. Channel DIP switches Right Side: 5.
LCD Screen Guide: 1. Ready beeper indicator 2. Modeling lamp mode 3. Flash indicator 4. Error indicator 5. Flash ready indicator 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Preparing for Use The Impact Digital Monolight includes a pre-installed flash tube and a modeling lamp that's packed separately in the box. Both lights are user-replaceable. Be careful not to touch the flash tube with your bare hands since this could cause damage to it. Please use cotton gloves or a soft, dry cloth when touching or handling the flash tube. The monolight’s modeling lamp is a halogen bulb within a glass sleeve. You may touch this glass without cotton gloves.
stand with a standard 5/8″ top mount. Turn the tightening knob to secure. Turn the adjustment knob counter-clockwise to adjust the tilt of the monolight. Turn the knob clockwise to secure the monolight in place. Accessory S-mount The Digital Monolight has an S-mount for light-modifying accessories. This can be used with such optional add-ons as speed rings for softboxes. The included umbrella reflector lines up with the unit’s umbrella mount located on the monolight’s stand mount.
Connecting Your Camera to the Monolight The Impact Digital Monolight has two triggering options out of the box – sync cord and wireless connections. Please reference the following instructions to connect your camera to the monolight. Sync Cord The back of your monolight has a 1/4″ (6.35 mm) sync input, which is used for a wired connection between your camera and the flash unit. Use the following instructions to connect your two devices: 1. Insert the included sync cable’s 1/4″ (6.
Powering the Monolight The Impact VC-500WL Digital Monolight is designed to operate with a 100~130V, 60 Hz AC power current. The VC-500WL220V model operates with a 220~240V, 50/60 Hz AC power current. Before powering on your monolight, plug the AC cable into the flash’s AC input, then into the wall socket. Press the power switch to turn the unit on. The LCD screen will show all of the current settings except READY . When the monolight is charged, the READY box will appear on the screen.
Flash Settings Setting the Monolight’s Power Output The Impact Digital Monolight’s flashtube has a 6-stop power range, represented by a 1-6 (f-stop) numbered scale on the LED screen. The output adjustment knob changes the monolight output value by 0.1 f-stop. NOTE: Each detent of the output adjustment dial changes the power output by one-tenth of a unit. To increase or decrease the power output of the monolight, turn the adjustment dial on the back of the flash unit.
Setting the Modeling Light Power Output The VC-500WL Monolight has a 250 watt, 60Hz user-replaceable modeling light bulb. The VC-500WL220V Monolight comes with a 220~240V, 50/60 Hz modeling lamp. The modeling light’s power output is represented by a 1-6 numbered scale, with ten decimal places between them, on the LCD screen. This monolight has built-in soft-start circuitry, which ensures longer modeling lamp life.
The modeling light has two modeling light modes: Proportional: When the model light is activated, the default setting is proportional, as indicated by the and icons on the LCD panel. As you adjust the monolight’s power output (using the output adjustment dial), the modeling light will adjust up or down proportionally. This gives you the general idea where highlights and shadows will fall in relation to the flash power.
Slave and Pre-Flash Settings The Impact Digital Monolight has seven optical slave/pre-flash modes. You can toggle between them by repeatedly pushing the slave button until the required number is indicated by the light on the right side of the panel. Activate this mode by pressing the slave button once. The 1 icon will appear on the LCD. Press it again to turn it off. The icon will appear on the LCD. To adjust the slave/pre-flash settings, press and hold the Slave button for four seconds.
Special Functions (Kit Transmitter Only) The Impact Digital Monolight kit includes a wireless radio transmitter for remote triggering. The transmitter is sold with the monolight kit only. Visit www.impactstudiolighting.com for information on purchasing or replacing a transmitter. Setting Groups on the Monolight This monolight has the ability to be set to one of four groups: GA, GB, GC, or GD. To select a group, press and hold the Slave button for four seconds. Press the Slave button twice.
Remote Instructions The Impact Digital Monolight kit comes with a radio remote (also known as the transmitter) that enables the user to control and trigger the studio flash remotely. Mount the transmitter onto your camera’s hot-shoe port, or connect it using the included 3.5 mm to PC sync cord. To use the remote with the Digital Monolight, use the following features: Flashtube Power Output Press the or button on the remote to adjust the power output of the flashtube.
Channels This studio flash has a 16-channel radio receiver, which can be triggered using the kit-included transmitter. To adjust the channel settings on the remote, first remove the battery compartment door. Set the device to your required channel using the chart below as a guide. NOTE: You must synchronize the channel setting on the monolight and the trigger to wirelessly trigger the flash. Groups The Impact Digital Monolight has four groups, used to segment remote devices.
Testing the Monolight Press the transmitter’s test button to test-fire the monolight. Preflash Variation Settings The Impact Digital Monolight is compatible with nearly all master flash slave units. Different brands use different numbers of pre-flashes before triggering other slave units. To facilitate those differences, this studio flash has two settings that enable the flash to ignore a user-selected timeframe of pre-flashes before firing.
Setting (t) 1 2 3 4 5 Time (sec) 1 2 3 4 5 NOTE: The default setting of this function is t2, which means the flash will only be triggered after 2 seconds of pre-flashes. When using multiple speedlites with different pre-flash frequencies, this mode will group all the flashes as one before firing. Block Time The Block Time function allows for a variable of 1 to 18 milliseconds for the studio flash to ignore master pre-flashes.
Other Functions and Protective Features Audio Button This monolight will emit a beep to indicate various alerts and functions of the unit. To turn this function off, press the AUDIO button once. Repeat to reactivate the function. Overheating Protection After a long shooting session at a high power output, the recycling time of the flash will increase automatically until the flash cools to a safe level. Once cooled, it will begin operating as usual.
Installation and Replacement Guide The Modeling Light The Impact VC-500WL Monolight comes with a 250W, 60Hz halogen modeling lamp bulb. The VC-500WL220V comes with a 250W, 50/60Hz bulb. To remove an old bulb and install a replacement bulb, use the following instructions: 1. Ensure the monolight is powered off and unplugged. 2. Using a cotton glove or soft, dry cloth, carefully unscrew the modeling light bulb. 3. With the cotton glove or soft, dry cloth, pick up the replacement tube. 4.
The Flash Tube The Impact Digital Monolight’s flash tube is user-replaceable. To replace the flash tube, do the following: 24 1. Discharge the flash unit by pressing the test button. 2. Power off the monolight and unplug the power cable from the flash unit and power source. 3. After 30 minutes, remove the modeling lamp and any other accessory connected to the unit. 4.
Replacing the Fuse The Impact Digital Monolight comes with two fuses: one installed and one spare. Both are located within the fuse bay. To remove the fuse housing from the fuse bay and replace the fuse, do the following: 1. Ensure the monolight is powered off and unplugged. 2. Using a flat head screwdriver, lift the fuse housing via the nook found on the flat side of the AC jack. 3. The fuse located within the housing is the one the monolight is using when it is powered on.
Specifications 26 Power Output 500 w/s Guide Number 78 Output Control Range Full to 1/32 in 1/10 increments Recycle Time 0.2 ~ 1.5 sec (VC-500WL) 0.2 ~ 1.1 sec (VC-500WL220V) Flash Duration 1/800 @ 500 w/s ~1/1200 Flash Ready Indicator Visible or audible confirmation Power Range 6 stops Modeling Lamp E26/27, 250W Max SSC - Soft Start Circuitry Modeling Lamp Control Proportional, Independent, Off Triggering Method 16-channel built-in 2.4 GHz wireless with included 16-channel 2.
Specifications Length of Included Sync Cord 11′ (3.35 m) Slave Settings Red-eye reduction, synchronous Integrated Receiver Frequency 2.4 GHz Channels 16 Cooling Fan Yes Touch Pad Controls Yes Auto Power Dump Yes Adapter Thermal Control Yes Housing Material Aluminum casting with textured coating Mount Type S Type Mount with umbrella mount Power Source AC 100~130VAC 60Hz (VC-500WL) AC 220~240VAC 50/60Hz (VC-500WL220V) Circuit Protection 12.5A Length of Included AC Cord 16′ (4.
One-Year Limited Warranty This Impact 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.
