Rotolight AEOS User manual

USER MANUAL
Version 1.4

BOX CONTENTS
Functions & Operations Flowchart
Basic Operation
Advanced Operation and Flash Mode
F-Stop table
Designer Fade™
CineSFX™
Strobe, Lightning
Throb, Cycle, Fire
Police
TV
True Aperture Dimming™
Control Menu
Technical Utilities Menu
Filter Information
Technical Specification
TLCI Test Result
Mounting and Batteries
Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty
Limitation of Liability
Additional Accessories
Thank you for purchasing Rotolight AEOS! We hope you enjoy
using it as much as we enjoyed making it!
Please register to activate your warranty at
www.rotolight.com/register
1 x Rotolight AEOS
1 x Professional Aluminium Ball Head (Supports 5kg load)
1 x Rotolight Universal power adapter with regional mains cable
1 x Filter Holder
1 x AEOS Filter pack:
1 x 216 Full Diffuser (1.5 Stops)
1 x 250 Medium, Half White Diffuser (3/4 Stops)
1 x 184 “Cosmetic Peach” Diffusion
1 x 279 1/8th Minus Green (Magenta)
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PAGE CONTENTS

KNOBS
LEFT KNOB = BRI
RIGHT KNOB = COL (KELVIN)
CLICK BOTH KNOBS TO ENTER
/ EXIT MENU MODE
LEFT KNOB = BRILEFT KNOB = BRI
RIGHT KNOB = COL (KELVIN)RIGHT KNOB = COL (KELVIN)
CLICK BOTH KNOBS TO ENTERCLICK BOTH KNOBS TO ENTER
/ EXIT MENU MODE/ EXIT MENU MODE
MENU
BRI COL
OPERATION FLOWCHART
POWER
SWITCH ON/OFF
FLASH SYNC
3.5MM MONO JACK
SOCKET TO CONNECT
THIRD PARTY FLASH
TRIGGER. USE HSS
TRIGGER FOR BEST
RESULTS (I.E PHOTTIX ODIN II)
MOST CINESFX + FADE CAN
ALSO BE TRIGGERED.
DISPLAY
DISPLAYS MENU ITEM OR
SELECTED ITEM
V-LOCK BATTERY PLATE
CONNECT ROTOLIGHT V-LOCK
BATTERY OR GOLD MOUNT MODEL USING
QR-A200 ADAPTER PLATE
* BATTERY NOT INCLUDED IN SINGLE UNIT
USB PORT
FOR FUTURE
FIRMWARE
UPDATES
DC INPUT SOCKET
15V 60W DC - ONLY USE
PROVIDED PSU OR
ROTOLIGHT ADAPTERS
DMX IN/THRU
CONNECT TO THIRD
PARTY DMX
DEVICES OR
LIGHTING CONSOLES
PRO BALL HEAD
PROFESSIONAL ALUMINIUM BALL HEAD WITH
360º SWIVEL WITH 1/4 - 20 & 3/8th MOUNTS
ALUMINIUM HANDLES
INTEGRATED HANDLES FOR HANDHELD
SHOOTING AND PORTABILITY
FLSH FADE SFX FDIM
ISO
EXP
FEET
CTRL DEMOTECH
STRB
LTNG
THRB
CYCL
FIRE
PLCE
To Exit Menu Click
Both Red knobs TV
ADDR
LOCK
VOLT
CAL
TEMP
SRNO
03
DN
UP
MODE
FREQ
SKYP
GRP
VERS
DISP
SCRL
To Enter Menu Click
Both Red knobs
FINE

“The ultimate light for portrait / location photographers. Powerful
yet portable, AEOS enables you to get shots no-one else can”
Jason Lanier - Rotolight Master of light
04 Photo by Jason Lanier www.jasonlanier.com

Photo by Jason Lanier www.jasonlanier.com

AEOS BASIC OPERATION
To operate AEOS you will find two red knobs
controls, which also act as switches, and a DC on/off
switch, these are all located on the rear of AEOS.
POWER
AEOS can be powered by 1 x V-Lock battery, DC
from the supplied AC mains adapter or from a
DC source in the range of 7v -15v (i.e. optional car
12v Socket, or D-Tap from a broadcast battery).
When connecting a power source to the DC input
socket, for instance mains adapter or an optional
D-Tap to DC connection, the V-Lock battery is
automatically disconnected, thus saving battery
power. Note if you are connecting an external DC
source make sure the power is the correct polarity
to avoid damaging your AEOS. We recommend
using Rotolight RL-Batt-95, 95mWh V-Lock
batteries (available from Rotolight.com) which will
run your AEOS for up to 3 hours at full power.
To power up AEOS click the power switch (located
above the ‘FLASH’ input Jack)
On power up, you will see ‘ROTOLIGHT AEOS’
scroll across the screen, you can interrupt this
anytime by operating one of the control knobs.
To power AEOS down , click the power switch
again. AEOS stores all the user settings in non-
volatile RAM so it will remember your last used
settings.
RESET
You can reset all the user parameters in AEOS
non-volatile memory by holding down the left
red control knob whilst simultaneously powering
AEOS on.
The word ‘ZERO’ will be displayed, select Y for yes
(reset all data), or N for NO.
ZERO
06

BASIC OPERATION MODE (BRI / COL)
(‘BRI’) Brightness
You can adjust the brightness output of AEOS by
rotating the left control knob.
If you rotate the knob quickly it will speed up the
data input. You can press and rotate to adjust the
brightness in steps of 10% (Fast Mode).
AEOS has a dimming range of 0% -100% and is
completely flicker free at any brightness level,
shutter speed or frame rate.
Note: there is a special mode called ‘True Aperture
Dimming’ (F-DIM) , available in the MENU section,
which will display the brightness as an F-Stop, based
on your camera exposure settings – see ‘True Aperture
Dimming’.
(‘COL’) Colour
You can adjust and accurately display the colour
temperature (CCT) of AEOS by rotating the right
control knob.
If you rotate the knob quickly it will speed up the
data input. You can press and rotate to deliberately
adjust the colour in steps of 100 kelvin (Fast Mode).
Simply rotating the knob will adjust the brightness
in steps of 10 kelvin.
AEOS has a colour temperature Range of 3150
kelvin (Tungsten) up to 6300 kelvin (reflected
daylight sky).
Note: as a bi-colour light, AEOS will be brightest
at the ‘mid point’ colour : 4200 kelvin, where both
sets of LEDs are at full power. This also applies in
flash mode.
AEOS has a special technology called ‘Dynamic
Drift Stabilisation’ which maintains the colour
temperature through the entire dimming range.
COL
BRI
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(‘MENU’) Advanced Operation
You can enter the MENU by pressing both red
control knobs simultaneously (or clicking and
holding down the left knob followed by the right
control knob). If you wish to leave MENU at any
time, you can return to the basic operation (BRI
/ COL) by pressing both red control switches
together again.
In ‘MENU’ Mode rotating the left knob navigates
through the menus, whilst pressing it takes you
back one level. Rotating the right knob adjusts
a setting, and pressing it acts as enter / trigger /
activate depending on the menu position.
In the MENU there are eight optional submenus
through which you navigate by rotating the left
knob: ‘FLSH’, ‘DISP’ , ‘FADE’ , ‘SFX ‘, ‘F-DIM’ , “CTRL”,
‘TECH’ , ‘DEMO’
You can enter your desired sub menu function by
clicking the right knob
You can leave the selected function by clicking the
left knob, alternatively you can return to the basic
operation mode (BRI /COL) at any time by pressing
both switches together at the same time.
(‘FLSH’) Flash Mode
Scroll to ‘FLSH’ Click the right knob to enter ‘FLSH’
mode.
Note: in order to use the flash, you must be in flash
mode (indicated by shutter speed on the display. If
you see word ‘FLSH’, you are not in flash mode and
must right click to ENTER flash mode).
Set your camera to manual flash mode
AEOS is not a TTL flash, it is a manual flash with
adjustable flash power, modelling light, colour
temperature and duration settings. Simple
operation: set your camera into manual flash
mode, refer to the F stop table (p.11) for exposure
guide, take a test shot and either adjust flash
power, or distance to the subject to achieve
optimal exposure.
Rotate the left knob to adjust the brightness of the
MENU
FLSH
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modelling light in order to preview your shadow
and highlights on your subject (in %, 0-100%) .
You can use the modelling light to compose your
photograph, or set different levels for multiple
AEOS lights, and have them flash together
retaining the relative set levels in ‘X8’ or ‘X16’ mode
Note: AEOS is intentionally less bright whilst in
modelling light mode than regular continuous
light mode, in order to make the light more
comfortable for the subject.
Press, hold and rotate the left knob to set the
desired colour temperature for your flash (in kelvin,
from 3150-6300k.
Note: as a bi-colour light, the flash will be at its
brightest at 4200K.
Rotate the right knob to set the desired duration
for the flash, in shutter intervals, i.e. 1/50s, 1/60s,
1/80s, 1/100s…up to 1/2500s (‘1/2K5s’).
Press, hold and rotate the right hand knob to
set the flash output power, ‘MAX’ (=250% of MAX
continuous output), ‘1/2’ (=125%), ‘1/4’ (=62%), ‘X8’
(=modelling light level x 8), and ‘X16’ (= modelling
light level x 16).
Finally connect a flash receiver or transceiver which
has a PC sync output, with a PC sync cable to the
3.5mm mono jack flash trigger input jack located
on the rear of AEOS below the DC Switch. Place
the trigger on top of your camera shoe.
Alternatively for wired operation, connect a long
PC sync cable from your cameras PC sync port to
the 3.5mm mono jack on the AEOS.
Recommended settings for simple one-light
operation:
1. Set flash power to MAX
2. Set flash duration to 1/50th (any faster
shutter speed ie 1/100th will be automatically
captured).
3. Set colour temp (kelvin) to 4200K.
09

Shooting in High Speed Sync
AEOS is capable of High Speed Sync flash(HSS).
HSS allows you to utilize the flash of AEOS, at
speeds faster than your cameras native internal
sync speed (typically 1/125 or 1/250th).
AEOS will happily work with any camera and any
trigger/receiver with a PC sync input, however
to shoot in High Speed Sync your camera must
itself be capable of HSS (many are not), and you
must use a HSS capable trigger and receiver (most
trigger/receivers are not natively HSS compatible
unless explicity stated).
PLEASE CHECK THAT YOUR CAMERA AND TRIGGER
EQUIPMENT IS CAPABLE OF HIGH SPEED SYNC.
Recommended triggers :
Phottix ODIN II (HSS) – Canon, Nikon, Sony
PocketWizard (HSS) : FlexTT5, and FlexTT6 support
High Speed Sync (HSS) for Canon and FP Sync for
Nikon.
Cactus VI II (HSS) : Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus,
Panasonic.
Cactus VI IIS(HSS) : Sony
Phottix ARES (not HSS) – Canon, Nikon, Sony.
Pocketwizard (not HSS) : Other models.
NOTE: AEOS will flash once for the duration set
shutter interval when syncing in HSS, ensuring
that the complete frame is illuminated.
If AEOS detects a flash re-trigger event during a set
interval , it will automatically adjust the duration
of the flash to a shorter interval , to avoid damage
occurring to the LEDs.
AEOS supports flash at ANY frame rate, flash
output can be up to 250% of the nominal
maximum continuous light output (>14,750 Lux at
3 feet or Guide Number 27).
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