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Bolt VC-310N User Manual Download Page 23

Second-Curtain Synchronization 

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 23

Second-Curtain Synchronization

When you photograph a moving subject with a flash and have a slow shutter speed (1/30 second or longer), 
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.

This slow-sync flash technique, also known as “dragging the shutter,” can be applied. Rear-curtain or 
second-curtain sync synchronizes the flash to fire near the end of the exposure. Since second-curtain sync 
causes motion blur and light trails to appear behind moving subjects, it creates a more realistic impression of 
movement. Use your camera’s shutter-priority or manual mode to control the amount of blurring and light trails 
you capture by varying the shutter speed.

The VC-310N supports second-curtain sync modes on cameras that offer this setting. Check your camera’s 
manual for instructions on how to operate the flash in this mode. 

Note:

 In i-TTL mode, the VC-310N will fire a pre-flash followed by the primary flash.

Summary of Contents for VC-310N

Page 1: ...Inspiration strikes Inspiration strikes VC 310N COMPACT ON CAMERA TTL FLASH User s Manual ...

Page 2: ...2 Copyright 2016 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 ...

Page 3: ...reless slave flash Among the benefits you ll enjoy Full compatibility with Nikon s i TTL metering system Wireless TTL control with multiple flash units and groups Eight manual flash levels full to 1 128 power plus fine tuning by 1 3 increments Repeat stroboscopic mode Tilt and swivel head 7 down 90 up 90 right and 60 left Backlit LCD Autofocus assist for low light photography High speed sync Secon...

Page 4: ...the Flash and Firing a Test Shot 12 13 Extended Interface 14 Automatic i TTL Flash Mode 15 16 Using Flash Exposure Compensation 16 Manual Flash Mode 17 18 Diffusing the Flash 18 Bouncing Your Flash 19 Repeat Stroboscopic Mode 20 21 Advanced Features 22 High Speed Sync 22 Second Curtain Synchronization 23 ...

Page 5: ...N as a Wireless Master 26 28 Setting Your VC 310N as a Wireless Slave Remote 29 30 Manual Optical Slave Modes S1 S2 31 32 Positioning the Slave and Remote Flash Units 33 34 FCC Compliance 34 Specifications 35 Troubleshooting 36 37 Stroboscopic Reference 38 One Year Limited Warranty 39 ...

Page 6: ...6 Overview VC 310N for Nikon VC 310N for Nikon Made in China 1 2 3 4 13 9 10 11 12 5 14 6 15 16 16 17 7 8 ...

Page 7: ...arrow 6 Set button 7 Right arrow 8 F1 function button 9 F2 function button 10 Power button 11 LCD panel 12 Flash head position indicator tilt 13 Micro USB port 14 Mounting foot 15 Locking wheel 16 Optical sensor 17 Battery compartment with cover 18 Flash stand 19 Diffuser 20 Carrying pouch 18 19 20 ...

Page 8: ... 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 the reach of children Use only the power sources specified in this manual Always switch the flash off before changing the batteries Always install AA batteries of the same type brand and age Do not combine different types or brands or old ...

Page 9: ...ter for repair If you detect excessive heat smoke or a burning smell coming from the flash immediately stop operation and remove the batteries to prevent the product from igniting or melting Take the product to an authorized service center for repair Do not drop or otherwise cause a strong physical impact to the VC 310N For long term storage remove all batteries from the VC 310N Do not store or us...

Page 10: ...tery compartment cover so the cover flips open 3 Insert two AA batteries not included according to the diagrams inside the battery compartment 4 Close the battery compartment cover until it clicks When the battery power is low the battery indicator will flash on the LCD Important Replace both batteries at the same time Do not mix battery types or brands or use old and new batteries together VC 310...

Page 11: ...lash from your camera make sure the VC 310N is turned off and follow these steps 1 Rotate the locking wheel counterclockwise to release the flash 2 Slide the mounting foot out of your camera s hot shoe Mounting the VC 310N on the included stand adapter You can mount the VC 310N on the included stand adapter in the same way you would mount it on your camera This allows you to set the flash up on a ...

Page 12: ... icon may also appear in the viewfinder when the VC 310N is mounted on your camera Sleep mode After approximately two minutes of inactivity the flash will automatically enter sleep mode to conserve the battery life by turning off the LCD and flash ready light To reactivate the VC 310N press the Set button on the flash unit or press your camera s shutter release button halfway During long periods o...

Page 13: ...uttons for 3 seconds then release LED preview and focusing There are three LEDs built into the flash head that can be used as a preview light to illuminate the subject for reference or as an autofocus assist light to help the camera focus when the scene is too dim To use the LEDs as a preview light press the power button while the flash is on To turn the preview light off press the power button ag...

Page 14: ...side of the flash In order to ensure compatibility with future cameras the VC 310N s firmware may 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 ...

Page 15: ...use i TTL flash mode mount the flash on the camera and follow these steps 1 Turn the flash on and press the Mode button repeatedly to cycle through the flash modes until the TTL mode indicator appears on the LCD 2 Make sure your camera is set to a programmed or automatic mode or on a priority mode such as aperture priority TTL 0 7EV IS0100 F5 6 1 2 3 Overview 1 i TTL flash mode 2 Flash exposure co...

Page 16: ...ows you to adjust and optimize your flash s automated setting by increasing or decreasing its light output without affecting the exposure as a whole In automatic TTL mode you can use flash exposure compensation to incrementally alter the VC 310N s flash output just as you would change exposure with the exposure compensation function on your camera To apply flash exposure compensation follow these ...

Page 17: ...can also fine tune the flash output in 1 3 increments To use the manual mode turn the flash and camera on and follow these steps 1 Press the Mode button repeatedly to cycle through the flash modes until the manual mode icon M and the flash output level appear on the LCD 2 Set the exposure settings you want to use on your camera 3 Press the Set button to highlight the flash output level Overview 1 ...

Page 18: ... exposure settings and the light output level of the flash as needed When adjusting exposure settings on your camera the highest shutter speed available will be your camera s flash sync speed Tip For best results when shooting in manual flash mode use a handheld light meter Diffusing the Flash Use the included diffuser to soften the light from the flash To attach the diffuser fit the diffuser onto...

Page 19: ...ject to provide softer more natural illumination In addition the flash can tilt down by seven degrees in order to fully illuminate your subject when shooting close up photography When bouncing your flash you may need to adjust your exposure settings since there will be less light falling on your subject The farther away the bounce surface and your subject are the less illumination there will be Ti...

Page 20: ...o useful when capturing fast moving objects due to the flash pulsating faster than the shutter can open and close Important Set your camera s shutter speed to one second or slower To enable stroboscopic mode turn on the flash and camera and follow these steps 1 Press the Mode button repeatedly until RPT appears on the LCD 2 Press the Set button to highlight the flash output power level and adjust ...

Page 21: ...d left arrows to adjust 7 To confirm your settings press the Set button 8 Press the shutter button to fire a test shot The flash will fire several bursts of light Tip To calculate the appropriate shutter speed divide the number of flashes per frame by the frequency For example if the number of flashes per frame is 10 and the frequency of the flash is 5 Hz then the shutter speed should be 2 seconds...

Page 22: ...erture The Bolt VC 310N flash includes a high speed sync trigger function that enables it to synchronize with shutter speeds up to 1 8000 of a second When enabling high speed sync remember the following This works with Nikon cameras that have high speed sync capability so check your camera s instruction manual High speed sync can be set in auto i TTL mode or the Manual mode In your Nikon camera s ...

Page 23: ...econd curtain sync synchronizes the flash to fire near the end of the exposure Since second curtain sync causes motion blur and light trails to appear behind moving subjects it creates a more realistic impression of movement Use your camera s shutter priority or manual mode to control the amount of blurring and light trails you capture by varying the shutter speed The VC 310N supports second curta...

Page 24: ...ster or slave with selectable communication channels 1 2 3 and 4 as well as 3 slave groups A B and C In addition there is the capability to set specific exposure compensation or power level values Important terms Here are the terms you ll need to be familiar with in order to learn how to work with multiple wireless flash units Master The master sends information to the slave flashes and controls e...

Page 25: ...C and set the operating mode and power for each group separately Channels Master and slave flash units exchange data through channels On the VC 310N four channels 1 2 3 and 4 are available in the optical system You can use this feature to prevent your slave units from being triggered by the master unit of another photographer working with the same type of system Flash control modes There are three...

Page 26: ...the Set button to confirm The Master indicator will appear in the left hand corner of the LCD screen Setting up the Master channel 1 4 1 Press the F2 function button Ch to highlight the master channel setting 2 Press the F2 function button Ch repeatedly to cycle through the selectable master channels 1 4 3 Press the Set button to confirm your settings GR B M 1 128 CH 1 TTL 0 3EV C CH MASTER A Over...

Page 27: ...cted flash groups To set up a slave group in TTL mode follow these steps 1 Make sure the flash is in master mode 2 Press the F1 function button repeatedly to cycle through the different groups A B and C 3 When you have highlighted the group you wish set press the Mode button repeatedly until it shows TTL 4 Press the Set button to bring up highlight the selected group s exposure compensation value ...

Page 28: ...1 128 to full power in 1 3 stop increments 6 Press the Set button to confirm your group settings To turn off a slave group follow these steps 1 Make sure the flash is in master mode 2 Press the F1 function button repeatedly to cycle through the different groups A B and C 3 When you have highlighted the group you wish set press the Mode button repeatedly until it shows for the group mode setting 4 ...

Page 29: ... LCD 2 Use the left and right arrows to highlight Remote Mode 3 Press the Set button to confirm and the Remote indicator will appear in the upper left hand corner of the LCD 4 Press the F1 function button repeatedly to cycle through the three groups A B and C until you set the desired group for your slave flash unit 5 Press the Set button to confirm CH 1 GR A REMOTE GR CH Overview 1 Remote mode in...

Page 30: ...ct the flash control modes until you highlight the Normal mode Important When using a single slave flash set it to the same group and channel as the master When using multiple slave flash units select the same group and channel for all units being used in a particular light position For example if you are using three VC 310N units you might want to set one as a main light on 1A the second as a fil...

Page 31: ...it will instantaneously fire along with it In order to ensure that the VC 310N fires at the correct time there are two different slave modes available S1 and S2 In these modes there is no TTL assistance for adjusting correct exposure You will need to set the slave settings independently In S1 Mode the slave will fire on the first or any burst of light Use this mode when the master is set to manual...

Page 32: ... the Mode button repeatedly until the S1 or S2 indicator appears on the LCD 2 Press the Set button to highlight the output level 3 Use the left and right arrows to adjust the output level from 1 1 to 1 128 4 Press the Set button to confirm your settings Warning Some cameras when set to red eye reduction will emit a series of quick flashes This may not work properly with any slave mode We suggest y...

Page 33: ...ng your light ratios to achieve specific looks will give you a professional level of creative control When positioning wireless slaves to light a subject keep in mind the following The effective communication range between master and slave flash units is approximately 33 feet 10 m for outdoor use and up to 49 feet 15 m when using the flash indoors These ranges may vary depending on the ambient lig...

Page 34: ...ght the optical sensors may be overwhelmed by ambient light which will lower their sensitivity To avoid creating interference between flash units using more than three in a single group is not recommended FCC Compliance This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference 2 This device must accept a...

Page 35: ...s AA NiMH Manual mode power output 1 1 1 2 1 4 1 8 1 16 1 32 1 64 1 128 fine tuning in increments of 1 3 Wireless transmission range Optical up to 33 10 m outdoor and 49 15 m indoor Wireless channels 4 Controllable wireless slave groups 3 Power source 2 AA lithium NiMH or alkaline batteries Tilt positions 7 0 45 60 75 and 90 Swivel range Right 0 90 Left 0 60 Dimensions H W L 4 47 2 53 1 38 11 4 6 ...

Page 36: ...ash is securely attached to the camera page 11 Make sure that the electrical contacts on the foot of the flash are not dirty Clean them and try again The flash has entered overheating protection mode Turn the unit off for 2 5 minutes to let it cool down page 13 There s a whining sound coming from the flash This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction When the flash heats up from continuous u...

Page 37: ...or on the slave is pointing toward the master flash Remove any obstructions in the line of sight between the two pages 33 34 The ambient light may be too high page 33 The edges of the images look dark Make sure that the flash output power setting corresponds to the focal length of your lens The bottoms of the images look dark Your camera s shutter speed is higher than the flash s maximum sync spee...

Page 38: ...ble for any given frequency flash output combination Flash Output Hz 1 4 1 8 1 16 1 32 1 64 1 128 1 3 14 30 60 90 90 2 3 14 30 60 90 90 3 3 12 30 60 90 90 4 3 10 20 50 80 80 5 3 8 20 40 70 70 6 3 6 20 32 56 56 7 3 6 20 28 44 44 8 3 5 10 24 36 36 9 3 5 10 22 32 32 10 2 4 8 20 28 28 20 100 2 4 8 12 24 24 ...

Page 39: ...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 40: ...GG3 www boltflashes com ...

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