Bolt VS-510S User manual

VS-510S
WIRELESS TTL FLASH
User’s Manual
Inspiration strikes.
Inspiration strikes.

2 |Introduction
Copyright © 2012 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 |3
Introduction
Thank you for choosing the Bolt VS-510S Wireless TTL Flash. This advanced digital ash unit puts creative
control in your hands with a broad range of automatic and manual features. It can be used as both an on-
camera ash and a wireless slave ash. Among the benets you’ll enjoy:
• Full compatibility with Sony’s TTL metering system
• Wireless TTL control with multiple ash units and groups
• Automatic and manual zoom from 24mm to 105mm
• Tilt and swivel head: 90° up, 120° right, and 180° left
• 1.8-inch backlit LCD
• Six manual ash levels: full to 1/32 power
• Autofocus-assist for low-light photography
• High-speed sync
• Rear-curtain sync
• Built-in reector and diffuser panels
• Automatic power-saving function
• Upgradeable rmware

4 |Contents
Contents
Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 6–9
Warnings ................................................................................................................................................. 10–12
Installing Batteries ................................................................................................................................... 12–14
Mounting the Flash .................................................................................................................................. 14–15
Turning on the Flash and Firing a Test......................................................................................................16–17
Using the Automatic TTL Flash Mode ........................................................................................................17-18
Using High-Speed Sync ................................................................................................................................. 19
Using Flash Exposure Compensation.............................................................................................................. 20
Using the Manual Flash Mode .................................................................................................................. 21–22
Controlling Flash Coverage (Zoom)........................................................................................................... 22–25
Using the Autofocus-Assist Light.................................................................................................................... 25
Bouncing Your Flash................................................................................................................................. 26–28

Contents |5
Using Rear- or Second-Curtain Synchronization ........................................................................................28-29
Using Your VS-510S as a Wireless TTL Slave............................................................................................ 30–32
Using Your VS-510S as a Wireless Manual Flash ...................................................................................... 32–35
Positioning Remote Flash Units ................................................................................................................ 36–37
Upgrading the Firmware on the VS-510S ....................................................................................................... 38
Troubleshooting ....................................................................................................................................... 38–39
Specications .......................................................................................................................................... 40–41
Guide Number Chart ...................................................................................................................................... 41
FCC Notices................................................................................................................................................... 42
Limited Warranty ........................................................................................................................................... 43
Customer Service .......................................................................................................................................... 43

6 |Overview
1
2
4
6
9
16
12
11
17
3
5
18
7
8
10
15
14
13

Overview |7
Overview
1. Flash head
2. Reector panel
3. Diffuser panel
4. Battery compartment cover
5. Wireless sensor (optical)
6. Wireless sensor (TTL)
7. Mounting foot
8. Mounting foot lock release
9. Mode button
10. Zoom position button
11. Ready light / Test button
12. Power switch
13. Slave mode switch
14. Automatic exposure
conrmation light
15. Flash head position indicator
16. LCD
17. Firmware upgrade socket
18. AF assist/Wireless ready
indicator light

8 |Overview
19
23 24 25 26
20 21
22 27

Overview |9
19. Automatic exposure conrmation
20. Mode / High-speed sync status
21. Manual ash output level / Slave group and channel / Slave mode
22. Recommended maximum ash-to-subject distance
(in meters and feet)
23. Zoom mode
24. Zoom position
25. Power saving / Camera or lm ISO/ASA setting
26. Camera aperture (f-stop)
27. Stand / Tripod mount

10 |Warnings
Warnings
Before using your VS-510S, please read the following safety notices carefully and thoroughly to ensure safe
use, and to help prevent damage to your ash or injury to yourself or others.
• Do not re the ash 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 ash unit, please wait for at least 10 minutes after 20 continuous
ashes at full power.
• 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 reach of children.
• Use only the power sources specied in this manual.
• Always switch the ash 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 and new batteries. This could cause batteries to leak, overheat, or explode.

Warnings |11
• 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-510S in ammable conditions (such as environments containing ammable
gases or liquid chemicals). This could damage the ash, start a re, or cause an electric shock.
• Do not clean the VS-510S with agents containing corrosive or ammable substances such as paint thinner,
benzene, or nail polish remover.
• This product is not water resistant. Keep it away from rain, snow, humidity, and general moisture.
• Should the VS-510S get damaged, do not touch any exposed interior metal parts. If touched, they may
generate an electric shock or cause a malfunction. Promptly remove the batteries and take the product to
an authorized service center for repair.
• If you detect excessive heat, smoke, or a burning smell coming from the ash, 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 VS-510S, as this could cause a malfunction
that may cause it to explode or ignite.
• Remove all batteries from the VS-510S before long-term storage in order to prevent the product from
igniting or leaking corrosive liquids.

12 |Installing Batteries
• Do not store or use this product at temperatures above 40°C / 104°F.
• Keep the metal contacts in the battery compartment clean and free of corrosion and dirt. Do not touch
them with your ngers. Corrosive elements on the contacts can damage the VS-510S 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 re, as this could cause the
batteries to leak corrosive liquids, generate heat, or explode.
Installing Batteries
The VS-510S can be powered by four AA batteries of several types:
• Lithium (1.5V)
• Nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) (1.2V)
• Alkaline (1.5V)
Note: For the fastest recycle times and longest battery life, lithium or Ni-MH batteries are recommended.

Installing Batteries |13
To install batteries, make sure the VS-510S is turned off and follow these steps:
1. Press on the battery compartment cover and slide it in the direction of the arrow to remove it.
2. Insert batteries in the orientations indicated by the illustrations inside the compartment.
3. Replace the battery compartment cover by pressing and sliding it into place, in the opposite direction of
the arrow on the cover.
1 2 3

14 |Mounting the Flash
Important!
Replace all four batteries at the same time. Do not mix battery types or brands, or use old and new batteries
together.
Mounting the Flash
To mount the VS-510S on your camera,
follow these steps:
1. Make sure that the ash is turned off.
2. Slide the mounting foot all the way into
your camera’s hot shoe.
3. The lock will automatically engage and
hold the ash in place.

Mounting the Flash |15
To dismount the ash from your camera,
follow these steps:
1. Make sure that the ash is turned off.
2. Push the lock release button in while
simultaneously sliding the mounting foot
out of your camera’s hot shoe.
Mounting the VS-510S on the included
stand:
You can mount the VS-510S on the included
stand in the same way you would mount it on
your camera. This allows you to set the ash up
on a at surface, or to attach it to a tripod head, light stand, or clamp that has a compatible ¼-20
screw mount.
MODE ZOOM
OFF ON OFF
S
READY/TEST OK
60
75
PUSH
H
H
USH

16 |Turning on the Flash and Firing a Test
Turning on the Flash and Firing a Test
To turn the ash on, simply slide the power switch to the On position.
When the ash is ready to re, the Ready light will glow red. If the ash is mounted on your camera, a ash
icon will also appear in the camera’s viewnder.
To re a test ash, press the Ready light / Test button.
Automatic power-saving function: After 3 minutes of inactivity, the ash will automatically enter power-
saving mode to conserve battery life. The LCD will display a single OFF indicator, and the Ready light will turn
off. To reactivate the VS-510S, simply press any button on the control panel, or tap your camera’s shutter-
release button. During long periods of inactivity, it is recommended that you use the power switch to turn the
ash off completely.

Using the Automatic TTL Flash Mode |17
LCD illumination: When a button is pressed, the LCD will be illuminated for about 5 seconds.
Important!
Make sure that the slave mode switch is set to Off when the ash is mounted on your camera. Only switch it
to the “S” position when using the ash off-camera as a wireless slave.
Using the Automatic TTL Flash Mode
When the VS-510S is mounted on a compatible camera, it can set the appropriate ash level automatically, in
conjunction with the camera’s through-the-lens (TTL) metering system. To use the automatic mode, mount the
ash on the camera and follow these steps:

18 |Using the Automatic TTL Flash Mode
1. When you turn the ash on, it will be in automatic mode. This will be conrmed by the TTL mode indicator
on the LCD. If the ash has been set to another mode, press the Mode button repeatedly to cycle through
the ash modes until “TTL” is shown on the LCD.
2. Make sure your camera is set on 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 ash. The camera’s ISO and aperture settings will be displayed on the ash LCD, and a ash icon
will appear in the camera’s viewnder.
4. Make sure that your subject is not farther away than the suggested maximum ash-to-subject distance
indicated on the ash LCD.
5. Press your camera’s shutter-release button to take the picture. The OK indicator will ash on the VS-
510S’s LCD, and the OK light below it will glow green momentarily to indicate that the proper exposure
was attained.
Note: The ISO and aperture indicators on the VS-510S provide readouts up to ISO 800 and f/11, in full-stop
increments. The indicator will display the ISO number and f-stop closest to your current camera settings.

Using High-Speed Sync |19
Using High-Speed Sync
You can use shutter speeds higher than your camera’s top ash sync speed with the VS-510S by activating
high-speed sync in automatic TTL mode. High-speed sync lets you use shutter speeds as fast as 1/8000
second. This is especially useful when using large apertures in bright situations or when freezing motion. To
activate high-speed sync mode on the VS-510S, press the Mode and Zoom buttons simultaneously. “H” and
“On” will ash three times on the LCD to show that the mode has been activated.
To turn high-speed sync off, press the Mode and Zoom buttons again. “H” and “Off” will ash three times on
the LCD to show that the mode has been turned off.

20 |Using Flash Exposure Compensation
Using Flash Exposure Compensation
In automatic TTL mode, you can use ash exposure compensation to adjust the VS-510S’s ash output
incrementally, just as you would adjust exposure with the exposure compensation function on your camera.
To apply ash exposure compensation, press the ash exposure compensation button on your camera and
adjust the ash exposure level up or down with your camera’s controls.
The ash exposure compensation range and controls vary between different camera models. Consult your
camera’s manual for more information about this feature.