MACRO FLASH CONTROLLER MACRO TWIN FLASH 2400 MACRO RING FLASH 1200 E INSTRUCTION MANUAL
CONTENTS FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE Names of Parts......................................................................................10 Please read and understand all warnings and cautions before using this product. BASIC OPERATION Installing Batteries.................................................................................15 Checking Batteries ......................................................................16 Attaching and Removing the Controller...........................................
FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE WARNING • Do not disassemble this product. Electric shock may cause injury if a high voltage circuit inside the product is touched. Take the product to a Minolta Service Facility when repairs are required. • Immediately remove the batteries and discontinue use if the flash or the controller is dropped or subjected to an impact in which the interior, especially the flash unit, is exposed. The flash has a high voltage circuit which may cause an electric shock resulting in injury.
Thank you for purchasing this Minolta product. Please read this manual thoroughly before using the macro flash or ring flash. We hope that you will continue to be satisfied by our products. These products are designed and manufactured for use with Minolta Maxxum/Dynax series cameras and some Minolta digital cameras. Performance when used with cameras from other manufacturers cannot be guaranteed. Minolta takes no responsibility for accidents or malfunctions due to use with such cameras.
MACRO FLASH OPTIONS There are two types of lighting available; twin flash and ring flash. Choose one, depending on your subject. Ring Flash (4 flashtubes) Macro Flash Controller Twin Flash (2 flashtubes) Macro Ring Flash 1200 Macro Flash Controller Macro Twin Flash 2400 (Includes two units) Use the optional Macro Ring Flash 1200 with the Macro Flash Controller. Used for photographing small subjects in fine detail and for scientific applications.
NAMES OF PARTS Macro Flash Controller MFC-1000 Control Panel For information on specific parts, refer to the page numbers shown in parenthesis.
NAMES OF PARTS Macro Twin Flash 2400 Macro Ring Flash 1200 Twin Flash Unit T-2400 (2 included) Ring Flash Unit R-1200 Holder Flashtube Shoe Focus lamps (51) Flashtubes Lighting-selector switches (28) Release tabs Release tabs Connecting cord Plug Connecting cord Plug (24) Clip Adapter rings ø49mm, ø55mm Arm (2 included) (20) Adapter rings ø49mm, ø55mm Wide-angle adapter (2 included) (46) 12 Diffuser (2 included) (48) Cord reel (2 included) (21) 13
INSTALLING BATTERIES BASIC OPERATION The Macro flash controller MFC-1000 may be powered by: • Four AA-size alkaline batteries • Four AA-size lithium batteries • Four AA-size rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries Always ensure that rechargeable nickel-metal hydride batteries are charged in the proper charging unit. 1. Open the battery-chamber door as shown. 2. Insert the batteries according to the diagram in the battery chamber. 3. Close the battery-chamber door.
INSTALLING BATTERIES ATTACHING AND REMOVING CONTROLLER Checking Batteries Attaching To The Camera The lamp on the control panel glows or blinks when the batteries are low. When glowing; Power is low. The batteries will need to be replaced soon. When blinking; Insert new batteries. Flash cannot be used. Push the mounting foot firmly onto the camera until it stops. • The controller locks in place automatically. • If the camera’s built-in flash is raised, lower it before attaching the controller.
ATTACHING THE TWIN FLASH 1. Screw the appropriate adapter ring onto the lens. • 49mm and 55mm diameter adapters are provided. • If using the AF 200mm f/4 Macro Apo G lens, a 72mm adapter is needed, which can be be purchased separately (p. 64). 2. While pressing the tabs on both sides of the holder, place the holder over the adapter, then release both tabs. 3. Remove the protective socket caps. • For safe-kepping, place the cap(s) in the case. Replace caps after use. 5.
ATTACHING THE TWIN FLASH You can use an arm to position the flash unit away from the lens. Attach the arm by sliding its base into one of the four shoes on the holder. The cord reel can be attached to the side of the controller to take up excessive cord slack. When attaching it to the controller, orient the reel with the Minolta logo in a readable horizontal position, and place the top of the reel’s center cut-out over the top of the three protruding pins on the controller.
ATTACHING THE TWIN FLASH ATTACHING THE RING FLASH 1. Screw the appropriate adapter ring onto the lens. • 49mm and 55mm diameter adapters are provided. • If using the AF 200mm f/4 Macro Apo G lens, a 72mm adapter is needed, which can be be purchased separately (p. 64). The angle of flash coverage will increase if you attach the wide-angle adapter to the flashtube (p. 46). Strong shadows can be softened by using the diffuser attached to the flashtube. Always use the diffuser with an arm (p. 48). 2.
ATTACHING THE RING FLASH 4. Insert the ring-flash plug into the ring-flash-cord socket on the controller. TURNING THE FLASH ON AND OFF/ FILM ON/OFF Turn the flash on by pressing the flash on/off button. When the flash turns on, the flash-on lamp will glow. • Press the release tabs when removing the ring flash. • Do not allow the cord to get in front of the lens or ring flashtubes. Use the cord clip to secure the cord.
BASIC FLASH MODES Camera’s exposure mode should be set to either A (aperture priority) mode*, or M (manual) mode**. 1. Turn camera on and set to A mode or M mode. Depth-of-field*** is quite shallow at close-up and macro ranges, so focusing is very important. It is recommended that you use a macro lens and select an aperture as small as practical to maximize the depth-of-field. In this section, the basic flash operation in A or M mode with TTL metering (TTL lamp on) is described. 2.
BASIC FLASH MODES 6. Select the flash. In the case of the twin flash, each press of the A-B / lamp button causes the selected flash units to go from both A and B, then only A, and finally only B. B A Right flashtube All flashtubes As viewed from the rear (control panel side), the A flash is the one connected to the left side socket, the B flash to the right side. The ring flash has four separate flashtubes.
BASIC FLASH MODES AF 100mm f/2.8 Macro (Lens aperture range: f/2.8 - f/32) Selecting Apertures - TTL Flash • The tables beginning at the bottom of this page shows values when ISO 100 film is used without the wide-angle adapter or diffuser. For other ISO film speeds, or if you use the wide-angle adapter or diffuser, adjust the aperture settings according to the tables on page 32. • The aperture ranges given in the tables are calculated values; the actual lens will have its own usable aperture range.
BASIC FLASH MODES When Using Film Other Than ISO 100, Or When Using the Wide-Angle Adapter or Diffuser An additional adjustment must be applied to the previous tables. ISO 25 ISO 50 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 W/O Wide-angle With Wide-angle With Diffuser adapter or Diffuser adapter (Exposure adjustment) (Exposure adjustment) (Exposure adjustment) +2 Stop +3.5 Stop +4.5 Stop +1 Stop +2.5 Stop +3.5 Stop No change +1.5 Stop +2.5 Stop –1 Stop +0.5 Stop +1.5 Stop –2 Stop –0.5 Stop +0.5 Stop –3 Stop –1.
MANUAL FLASH (M) DETAILED OPERATIONS Normal TTL flash metering automatically adjusts the flash intensity to provide the proper exposure for the subject. Manual flash provides a fixed flash intensity irrespective of the brightness of the subject and the camera setting. • In manual flash, the maximum flash power is when the manual flash control is set to 1/1. Each step of the flash power level corresponds to one aperture stop.
MANUAL FLASH (M) Manual Flash With Ring Flash TTLflash Test flash Manual flash Test flash TTLflash Modeling flash 1. Select the M mode on the camera. 2. Press the TTL/M/test button (TTL/M/ / ) until the M lamp glows. Manual flash Modeling flash • Each time the button is pressed, the flash modes will change as follows: (For test flash firing see page 44.) 3. Select shutter speed and aperture (p. 38). 4. Turn the appropriate manual-flash-control dial and select the desired power level (p. 38).
MANUAL FLASH (M) • See the tables on pages 38 to 43 for the aperture and power level needed to obtain a proper exposure. The flash-ready lamp will not blink on the control panel after the photo is taken. • The size of the step on the manual-flash-control dials can be changed from full-stop increments to half-stop increments by adjusting the custom settings. See page 52.
MANUAL FLASH (M) AF 100mm f/2.8 Macro (Lens aperture range: f/2.8 - f/32) Magnification Ratio 1:1 1:1.5 1:2 1:3 Power level 1/1 76 (54) 76 (54) 64 (45) 54 (38) 1/2 54 (38) 54 (38) 45 (32) 38 (27) 1/4 38 (27) 38 (27) 32 (22) 27 (19) 1/8 27 (19) 27 (19) 22 (16) 19 (13) 1/16 19 (13) 19 (13) 16 (11) 13 (9.5) 1/32 13 (9.5) 13 (9.5) 11 (8) 9.5 (6.7) 1/64 9.5 (6.7) 9.5 (6.7) 8 (5.6) 6.7 (4.
MANUAL FLASH (M) AF Macro Zoom 3X-1X f/1.7-2.8 (Lens aperture range at 1X: f/5.6 - 54, at 3X: f/6.7 - 64) Magnification Ratio Power level 1/1 1/2 1/4 Ring flash 1/8 (1 ~ 4 lamps) 1/16 1/32 1/64 1X 3X 108 76 54 38 27 19 13 90 64 45 32 22 16 11 The following adjustment must be made to the exposure when using different film speeds or accesories.
TEST FLASH MODELING FLASH (TWIN FLASH ONLY) One test flash may be used before taking a photograph. Use testflash mode when using a flash meter in manual-flash mode. The modeling flash is used to check for shadows on the subject before taking a photograph. The flash will fire for 2 seconds at a rate of 40 flashes per second. Check that the test-flash lamp is on. Press the test button to fire the test flash. 1. Press the TTL/M/Test button to make the modeling-flash lamp glow.
WIDE-ANGLE ADAPTER (TWIN FLASH ONLY) • Remove the wide-angle adaptor while holding its top tab. With wide-angle adaptor Without wide-angle adaptor • The flash output is reduced when using the wide-angle adapter. See page 32 for TTL flash metering, or 43 for manual flash metering. The twin flash unit has a coverage of 60° horizontally, and 45° vertically (equivalent to a lens with a 35mm focal length).
DIFFUSER (TWIN FLASH ONLY) Place the four side tabs into each slot on the side of the diffuser. With diffuser Assembled With diffuser Without diffuser Without diffuser Strong shadows can be softened by using the diffuser attached to the flashtube. Always use the diffuser with an arm set at the 90 ° position. If the arm is set at the 60° position and used with a wide angle lens, the diffuser may be show in the image. • If it is difficult to assemble the diffuser, fold it and try again.
DIFFUSER (TWIN FLASH ONLY) FOCUS LAMPS (RING FLASH ONLY) • The flash output is reduced when using the diffuser. See page 32 for TTL flash metering, or page 43 for manual flash metering. The ring flash has four focus lamps mounted near the flashtubes in the lighting unit. These lamps make framing subjects easy and provide light for the camera’s autofocusing system. • When removing, remove the diffuser while holding its adapter’s top tab. • When folding the diffuser, pull the tab off the dimple as shown.
CUSTOM FUNCTIONS The following four flash settings may be custimized: • Auto power off period (4, 15, 60 minutes or canceled) • Focus-lamp illumination period (8 seconds/ No limit) • Exposure modes in which manual flash may be set (M mode/ all modes) • Manual-flash power-level steps (1EV increments / 1/2EV increments) 1. Press the flash on/off button for 3 seconds until the three lamps glow at the same time: auto lamp, flash-on lamp, flash-off lamp. Select using the TTL/M/Test button 1.
CUSTOM FUNCTIONS 3. After making your selections, press the flash on/off button to return to exit the custom mode. APPENDIX • When a setting other than the default setting is selected in custom mode, the custom lamp remains lit. • If “canceled” is selected in #1, the flash will not turn off automatically. • If “no limit” is selected in #2, the ring flash’s focus lamps will remain lit until the A-B/ Lamp button is pressed again.
EXAMPLES OF TWIN FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY The twin flash’s arms create and control lighting for dramatic effect. A With arm C With arm D Without arm To accent detail and give depth, illuminate the subject from the sides using the arms. B Without arm If there is an object such as leaf near the lens, the flash illumination will be blocked when the arm is not used. With an arm, natural lighting conditions can be obtained.
EXAMPLES OF TWIN FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMPLES OF RING FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY Examples of top illumination The ring flash’s four flashtubes render fine detail and are extremely effective for scientific or medical applications. When the subject is close, the use of one flashtube creates shadows which can add dimension to the subject. Setting Different Power Levels (Manual Flash Only) Different power level settings are possible using manual flash operation (p. 35).
APERTURE RANGE GRAPH (TWIN FLASH) The aperture range for macro lenses is displayed on page 30 (TTL), and page 38 (Manual flash). The aperture ranges described here are for lenses other than macro lenses, or when the subject distance is great. Manual flash metering TTL flash metering C B Flash Power lines 1/1 1/2 (1/1) 1/4 (1/2) 1/8 (1/4) 1/16 (1/8) 1/32 (1/16) 1/64 (1/32) (1/64) C B D A A Min. Aperture lines Flash-subject distance Max. Aperture lines Flash-subject distance 1.
APERTURE RANGE GRAPH (RING FLASH) The aperture range for macro lenses is displayed on page 30 (TTL), and page 38 (Manual flash). The aperture ranges described here are for lenses other than macro lenses, or when the subject distance is great. Manual flash metering TTL flash metering Flash Power lines C C 1/1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 B B D A Min. Aperture line A Flash-subject distance Max. Aperture line Flash-subject distance 1.
COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER PRODUCTS CARE AND STORAGE Camera During Photography • If you are using Maxxum/Minolta 9000, 7000, or 5000, the optional Flash Shoe Adapter FS-1200 is necessary. See the FS-1200 manual for details. • This flash unit generates strong light, and should therefore not be used in front of the eyes. Batteries Lenses • Macro Twin Flash 2400 contains adapter rings for 49mm and 55mm diameter lenses.
CARE AND STORAGE Temperature Maintenance • This product may be used over a temperature range of –20°C to 50°C. • Do not leave this product exposed extremely high temperatures (eg. direct sunlight inside motor vehicles), or in conditions of high humidity. • To prevent condensation from forming, place the product in a sealed plastic bag when bringing it from cold environment to a warm environment. Allow it to come to room temperature before removing it from the bag.
SPECIFICATIONS Guide Number Twin flash (ISO 100) Vertical Power level 1 tube 2 tubes 1/1 17 1/2 12 1/4 8.5 1/8 6 1/16 4.2 1/32 3 1/64 2.1 Wide angle adapter Ring flash (ISO 100) Wideangle Diffuser adapter 24 11 7 17 8 5 12 5.6 3.5 8.5 4 2.5 6 2.8 1.8 4.2 2 1.3 3 1.4 0.9 and diffuser is for one tube. Flash coverage Power level 1 tube 4 tubes 1/1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 12 8.5 6 4.2 3 2.1 1.5 10 7 5 3.5 2.5 1.8 1.
MACRO FLASH SETS & ACCESSORIES Macro Flash Sets Accessories Macro Flash Controller Controller Accessories Contents Macro Flash Controller MFC-1000 (w/caps) Case Qty. 1 1 Caps For Macro Flash Controller MFC-1000 Contains 2 Twin Socket Caps, 1 Ring Socket Cap, and 1 DC Terminal Cap Case for Macro Flash Controller (Case for Program Flash 3600HS(D)) Macro Twin Flash 2400 (Lighting Set) Contents Twin Flash Unit T-2400 Adapter Ring (49mm/55mm) Holder Arm Cord Reel Wide-Angle Adapter Diffuser Case Qty.
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