Bolt VX-760C User Manual Download Page 2

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Introduction

Summary of Contents for VX-760C

Page 1: ...VX 760C WIRELESS TTL FLASH User s Manual Inspiration strikes Inspiration strikes ...

Page 3: ... enjoy Full compatibility with Canon s E TTL and E TTL II metering systems Wireless TTL control with multiple flash units and groups Flash exposure bracketing Multi stroboscopic mode Automatic and manual zoom from 24mm to 180mm Tilt and swivel head 7 down 90 up 180 right and 90 left Two inch backlit LCD Eight manual flash levels full to 1 128 power plus fine tuning by 1 3 Autofocus assist for low ...

Page 4: ...ting the Flash 14 15 Turning on the Flash and Firing a Test 16 18 Extended Interface 19 20 Using the Automatic TTL Flash Mode 21 Locking Flash Value 22 Using Flash Exposure Compensation 23 Using Flash Exposure Bracketing 24 25 Using the Manual Flash Mode 26 27 Controlling Flash Coverage Zoom 27 30 ...

Page 5: ...n Synchronization 34 35 Using the Multi Stroboscopic Mode 36 37 Using Your VX 760C as a Wireless Master or Slave 38 42 Using Wireless Multi Stroboscopic Mode 42 44 Positioning Slave Flash Units 44 45 Troubleshooting 46 47 Specifications 48 Stroboscopic Reference Chart 49 FCC Notices 50 Limited Warranty Customer Service 51 ...

Page 6: ...6 Overview VX 760C 2 1 4 5 6 3 7 8 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 14 19 20 22 21 18 9 ...

Page 7: ... foot 8 Extended interface cover 9 Power source socket 10 PC sync terminal 11 Flash head position indicator tilt 12 Flash head position indicator swivel 13 LCD 14 Sub button 15 Lock audio button 16 Pilot button 17 Mode button 18 Navigation buttons 19 Power switch 20 Flash ready light 21 Zoom position button 22 Battery compartment cover ...

Page 8: ...8 Overview Zoom 23 24 25 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 34 38 43 26 27 28 29 41 42 ...

Page 9: ... icon 32 Low battery icon 33 Thermal warning icon 34 Manual Stroboscopic flash output Flash exposure compensation value 35 Camera communication icon 36 S1 S2 wireless flash mode icon 37 Rear curtain sync icon 38 Camera aperture f stop Manual flash 1 3 stop increment Stroboscopic count Slave group Stroboscopic frequency Master channel 39 PC sync cord 40 Soft case 41 Stand Tripod mount ...

Page 10: ...Do not disassemble or attempt 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 diff...

Page 11: ...r 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 VX 760C as this can cause a malfunction that may cause it to explode or ignite Remove all ba...

Page 12: ...es of several types Lithium 1 5 V Nickel metal hydride Ni MH 1 2 V Alkaline 1 5 V Note For the fastest recycle times and longest battery life lithium or Ni MH batteries are recommended To install batteries make sure the VX 760C is turned off and follow these steps 1 Press on the battery compartment cover and slide it in the direction of the arrow to open it 2 Insert batteries in the orientations i...

Page 13: ... 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 When the battery power is low the low battery indicator will appear on the LCD the flash ready light will turn red for twenty seconds or longer and the flash will continuously beep for approximately ten seconds Important Replace all four batteries at the same time Do not mix battery types or brands or use old and new batteries together ...

Page 14: ...lash on your camera make sure the VX 760C is turned off and follow these steps 1 Rotate the locking wheel counterclockwise to loosen it 2 Slide the mounting foot all the way into your camera s hot shoe 3 Rotate the locking wheel clockwise until secure 2 3 1 ...

Page 15: ...to release the flash 2 Slide the mounting foot out of your camera s hot shoe Mounting the VX 760C on the included stand You can mount the VX 760C on the included stand in the same way you would mount it on your camera This allows you to set the flash up on a flat surface or to attach it to a tripod head light stand or clamp that has a compatible 1 4 20 screw mount ...

Page 16: ...dy light The flash ready light indicates the status of your flash Color of flash ready light Status of VX 760C Operation Green Flash ready Normal Red Recycling Normal Red for 20 seconds Battery low Replace batteries If the flash is mounted on your camera a flash icon will also appear in the camera s viewfinder To fire a test flash press the PILOT button ...

Page 17: ...er switch to turn the flash off completely LCD illumination When you turn the flash on or press any button the LCD will be illuminated for about six seconds Audio monitor The audio monitor feature causes the flash to emit one or more beeps to indicate the status of the flash Audio monitor Status of VX 760C Operation One beep Pressed button fired flash Normal Two beeps Flash ready Normal Long beep ...

Page 18: ...tton to confirm This will lock all of the buttons except for the power switch To unlock the device press and hold the LOCK AUDIO button until the lock icon disappears Important Make sure that slave mode is turned off when mounting the VX 760C on your camera Turn it on only when using the flash as an off camera wireless slave Overheating protection mode If the operating temperature of the VX 760C i...

Page 19: ...e of your flash and reduce the recycle time in between flashes Note When using an external power source the AA batteries must still be in the flash in order to operate PC Sync You can synchronize your VX 760C with a camera by running a PC cord between your camera and the VX 760C s PC sync terminal This lets you position the flash away from the camera thus giving you more lighting options Note The ...

Page 20: ...r an external power source plug the power cable Canon CZ type not included into the external power source socket B For PC sync plug the PC cord into the PC sync terminal Note When using both cables at the same time first insert the PC cord and then insert the power cord Very rarely a thick profiled PC cord will not fit at the same time as the power cable In that case use the supplied PC cord ...

Page 21: ...e 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 3 Press the shutter release button on your camera halfway to ensure that the camera is communicating with the flash The camera s aperture settings will appear...

Page 22: ... your camera to any Program or Manual mode 2 Position the element of your scene that you want to be correctly exposed in the center of your viewfinder 3 Press the FE Lock button on your camera The flash will fire a test shot and lock its output level and an asterisk will appear next to the flash icon in the viewfinder 4 Reframe your image as desired and take the picture For more information about ...

Page 23: ...ply flash exposure compensation use the left and right navigation buttons to adjust by full stops and the up and down navigation buttons to fine tune in increments of one third The flash exposure compensation indicator will appear on the LCD Note When decreasing flash exposure compensation in increments of one third from a whole stop you will need to decrease it by one whole stop and then increase...

Page 24: ...sh exposure The FEB value indicates the interval by which the flash exposure compensation changes and the flash exposure compensation value indicates the flash output of the first shot For example if your FEB value is 1 and your flash exposure compensation value is 2 then your first shot will be at 2 the second shot will be at 3 and the third shot will be at 1 To enable flash exposure bracketing f...

Page 25: ...sh exposure compensation and the up and down navigation buttons to fine tune To turn off flash exposure compensation set the FEB value to 0 and press the SUB button to confirm your selection Note The LCD will display 1b after the first shot and 2b after the second shot As always the flash exposure compensation will appear on the LCD before each shot Flash exposure bracketing turns off automaticall...

Page 26: ...se 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 indicator and the flash output level appear on the LCD Use the left and right navigation buttons to set the flash output and the up and down navigation buttons to fine tune 2 Set the exposure settings you want to use on your camera 3 Press...

Page 27: ... 4 to 1 8 0 7 you will need to decrease to 1 8 and then increase to 1 8 0 7 When setting exposure settings on your camera the highest shutter speed available will be your camera s flash sync speed Tip For best results use a handheld light meter when shooting in manual flash mode Controlling Flash Coverage Zoom The VX 760C s angle of coverage can be adjusted or zoomed to match the focal length of y...

Page 28: ...e available range is between 24mm and 180mm To enable automatic zoom control press the ZOOM button and then press the down navigation button so the manual zoom mode indicator on the LCD disappears Press the ZOOM button again to confirm your selection Press the shutter release button on your camera halfway to initiate communication between the camera and the flash and the flash zoom setting will ch...

Page 29: ...ust the focal length settings Press the up navigation button to skip directly to 180mm or press the down navigation button to return to auto zoom control Press the ZOOM button again to confirm your selection The available manual zoom positions are 24 28 35 50 70 85 105 120 135 and 180mm Tip Manual zoom can also be used to achieve special effects such as using the 180mm setting with a wide angle le...

Page 30: ...lash an angle of coverage equivalent to that of an 18mm lens To use the diffuser 1 Pull the diffuser and reflector panels out of their slot in the flash head 2 Push the reflector back in and let the diffuser lay flat against the flash lens The diffuser also softens the light providing an alternative when no surface is available for bouncing the flash see Bouncing Your Flash on page 31 1 2 ...

Page 31: ... shutter release button halfway in order to autofocus The camera will then be able to autofocus by locking onto the projected light Note The autofocus assist light is available only when your camera s autofocus system is set to One Shot or AI Focus It is not available when AI Servo is selected Bouncing Your Flash The VX 760C flash head can tilt down to 7 and up at 45 60 75 and 90 angles to the len...

Page 32: ...n 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 Tip Bouncing your flash off colored surfaces can create a color cast in your images B...

Page 33: ... look To create catchlights in your subjects eyes when bouncing your flash follow these steps 1 Pull the built in reflector and diffuser panels all the way out of their slot in the flash head Push the diffuser back in while leaving the reflector extended 2 Position the flash head at the 90 angle pointing straight up to bounce your flash off the ceiling or an overhead reflector ...

Page 34: ...xposure 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 in two different ways The first which is called front curtain or first curtain flash sync synchronizes the flash with the camera s shutter release so that the flash fires at the beginning of the period when the shutter opens...

Page 35: ...des on cameras that offer the setting To select rear curtain sync follow these steps 1 Make sure your flash is in TTL or manual mode 2 Press the SUB button to make the rear curtain sync icon blink 3 Press the MODE button to select it To disable rear curtain sync repeat steps 2 and 3 Use your camera s shutter priority or manual mode to control the amount of blurring and light trails you capture by ...

Page 36: ... fast objects because the flash can pulsate faster than the camera lens can open and close To enable the multi mode turn on the flash and camera and follow these steps 1 Press the MODE button repeatedly to cycle through the flash modes until the multi mode and flash output level indicators appear on the LCD Use the left and right navigation buttons to set the flash output 2 Set the number of flash...

Page 37: ...down navigation buttons for the minimum and maximum frequencies When the desired stroboscopic frequency number appears on the LCD press the MODE button to select it 4 To determine the appropriate shutter speed divide the stroboscopic count number the number of flashes per frame by the stroboscopic frequency number the frequency of the flash For example If the number of flashes per frame is 10 and ...

Page 38: ...in order to learn how to work with multiple wireless flash units Master This can be the camera s built in flash a flash unit mounted on the camera or a dedicated wireless controller The master controls how the slave flashes operate in wireless TTL mode Only one master flash is allowed in a multiple flash photography setting Note that not all cameras and flashes offer master capability Slave or rem...

Page 39: ...g triggered by the master unit of another photographer working with the same type of system nearby Setting the master mode To set the VX 760C flash unit to function as a TTL or manual master follow these steps 1 Press the MODE button repeatedly to cycle through the flash modes until the TTL or manual mode indicator appears on the LCD A For TTL mode use the left and right navigation buttons to adju...

Page 40: ...r level for groups A and B to fire at a ratio e g 2 1 or 3 1 Group C is off C ABC A B C sets the power level for groups A and B to fire at a ratio as in option B The power level for group C will be flash compensation above or below the power level of group B Note The ratios for A B and A B C are controlled through the camera s menu To find out how to set the ratios consult your camera s instructio...

Page 41: ...the channel by pressing the SUB button to make the channel number blink Use the left and right navigation buttons to cycle through channel numbers 1 4 When the desired channel number appears on the LCD press the SUB button again to select it The group indicator will now blink 4 Use the left and right navigation buttons to cycle through groups A C When the desired group appears on the LCD press the...

Page 42: ...one as a main light on 1A set the second as a fill light on 1B and set the third as a hair light on 1C With this setup you have the option of setting each group to a different slave mode via the master flash If desired you can set the main on 1A to TTL mode the fill light on 1B as a ratio of 1A and you may elect to disable the hair light on 1C Using Wireless Multi Stroboscopic Mode The VX 760C can...

Page 43: ...ount number blinks Use the left and right navigation buttons to adjust the number of flashes or the up and down navigation buttons for the minimum and maximum number of flashes When the desired stroboscopic count number appears on the LCD press the MODE button to select it 5 Set the firing frequency by pressing the SUB button repeatedly until the stroboscopic frequency number blinks Use the left a...

Page 44: ...n the desired channel number appears on the LCD press the MODE button to select it 8 Set your camera s shutter speed See Using the Multi Stroboscopic Mode on page 36 for how to calculate shutter speed Positioning Slave Flash Units You can create a professional lighting setup by positioning slave units individually or in groups to function as main fill accent and other lights Metering your scene wi...

Page 45: ... on the ambient light The flash head should not be aimed directly into the camera lens The wireless TTL sensor is located on the front of the VX 760C Make sure that the sensor is facing the master flash and that there are no obstructions between the two units When photographing outdoors or in bright ambient light the sensors can be overwhelmed by ambient light which will lower their sensitivity To...

Page 46: ...camera Page 14 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 ten minutes to let it cool down Page 18 The flash buttons don t respond The control buttons are locked Page 18 There s a whining sound coming from the flash This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction Wh...

Page 47: ...etween the two Page 45 The ambient light may be too high Page 45 The edges of the images look dark Make sure that the flash zoom setting corresponds to the focal length of your lens Page 27 Your lens is wider than 24mm Use the built in wide angle diffuser Page 30 The bottom of the images look dark To fully illuminate your subject when shooting close up photography tilt the flash down to the 7 posi...

Page 48: ...le time 0 3 3 seconds AA Ni MH 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 method Optical pulse Wireless transmission range Up to approximately 33 feet 10 m Wireless channels 4 Controllable wireless slave groups 3 Power source 4 AA lithium Ni MH or alkaline batteries optional external power source Tilt positions 7 0 45 60 75 ...

Page 49: ...of flashes possible for any given frequency flash output combination Frequency Hz Flash output level 1 4 1 8 1 16 1 32 1 64 1 128 1 2 3 7 14 30 60 90 90 4 6 12 20 50 80 80 5 5 10 20 40 70 70 6 4 8 20 32 56 56 7 3 6 20 28 44 44 8 2 6 20 24 36 36 9 2 5 10 22 32 32 10 2 5 10 20 28 28 11 199 2 4 8 12 25 25 ...

Page 50: ...e instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct to the interference by one or more of the following measures re orient or re locate the...

Page 51: ...not 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 al...

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