Rotolight AEOS User manual

USER MANUAL
Version 1.2

BOX CONTENTS
PAGE CONTENTS
2-3 Contents, Functions & Operation Flowchart.
4-5 In action & Result Shots.
6Basic Operation Mode.
7Basic Operation Mode (Bri/Col).
8-9 Advanced Operation | Flash Mode.
10-11 High Speed Sync | F-Stop Table.
12-13 Display | In-Action Shots.
14-15 SFX | CINESFX™.
16-17 Strobe, Lightning, Throb, Cycle, Fire.
18-19 Police, Television.
20-21 Michael Kelly & Bridget Regan lit by Mark Mann
22-23 F-DIM, Control, DMX, Tech.
24-25 Volt, Calibrated Custom Colour Mode, Temperature,
Firmware Version, Demo Mode.
26-27 Technical Specification, Rotolight LED TLCI Test Result,
Photometrics, CRI Test.
28-29 Filter Information, Mounting
30-31 Batteries, Manufacturers Warranty, Limitation of Liability,
AEOS Optional 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)
02

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 DISP FADE SFX FDIM
ISO
EXP
FEET
F-DIM
CTRL DEMOTECH
Strb
Ltng
Thrb
Cycl
Fire
Plce
To Enter Menu Click
Both Red Switches
To Exit Menu Click
Both Red Switches
TV
MODE
DMX
VOLT
CAL
TEMP
VERS
03

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

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 rotary
controls, which are also 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. NB 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.
NB – 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 switch 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 deliberately
adjust the brightness in steps of 10% (Fast Mode).
Simply rotating the knob will adjust the brightness
in steps of 1%.
AEOS has a dimming range of 0% -100% and is
completely flicker free at any brightness level,
shutter speed or frame rate.
(NB 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 : For maximum brightness, 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
07

( MENU ) ADVANCED OPERATION
You can enter the MENU by pressing both red
control switches together (or clicking and holding
down the left switch followed by the right control
switch). 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 the left rotary control is Navigation,
and the left switch takes you ‘back’ one level. The
right rotary encoder is ‘value/data entry’ and the
right switch is ‘activate/go/enter/start/trigger’
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 select/enter your desired sub menu
function by clicking the Right switch
You can leave the selected function by clicking the
Left switch, 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 switch 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.
MENU
FLSH
08

Rotate the left knob to set the desired ‘Modelling
Light’ level 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 able 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 syncable from
your cameras PC sync port to the 3.5mm mono jack
on the AEOS.
NOTE: AEOS does not have a built in receiver, you must
use an external trigger/receiver system such as Phottix,
Sony, Pocket Wizard, etc.
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 a High Speed Sync(HSS) capable flash. High
speed sync 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 a) your camera must
itself be capable of HSS (many are not) , and b) 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).
To Exit Flash Mode
Click the left switch to return to MENU, alternatively
you can return to the basic operation (BRI / COL) by
pressing both control switches together.
10

Distance (ft)
ISO
F-stop
Continuous
mode
F-stop
FLASH
mode
Guide
Number
(GN)
F-stop
Continuous
mode
F-stop
FLASH
mode
Guide
Number
(GN)
F-stop
Continuous
mode
F-stop
FLASH
mode
Guide
Number
(GN)
F-stop
Continuous
mode
F-stop
FLASH
mode
Guide
Number
(GN)
F-stop
Continuous
mode
F-stop
FLASH
mode
Guide
Number
(GN)
100
5.6 8 24 2.8 4.0 24 2 2.8 25.2 1.4 2 24 1.2 1.8 27
200
8 11 33 4 5.6 33.6 2.8 4 36 2 2.8 33.6 1.8 2.4 36
400
11 15 45 5.6 8.0 48 4 5.6 50.4 2.8 4 48 2.4 3.3 49.5
800
15 22 66 8 11.0 66 5.6 8 72 4 5.6 67.2 3.3 4.8 72
1600
22 30 90 11 16.0 96 8 11 99 5.6 8 96 4.8 6.5 97.5
2500
27 38 114 14 20.0 120 10 14 126 8 10 120 5.6 8 120
15ft
AEOS F STOP table in FLASH MODE (measured at midpoint colour 4300K)
Shutter speed = 1/60th
Measured at midpoint colour temperature 4300Kelvin with Sekonic flash meter, no modifiers or intensifiers used.
3ft 6ft 9ft 12 ft
11

(‘DISP’) DISPLAY
Allows the display to be set to low brightness or ‘off’
to reduce power consumption/increase battery life
or for discrete usage on set.
Click the right switch to enter ‘DISP’
Rotate the left knob to select the display mode:
‘High’ – the display will be at full brightness
‘Low’ – the display will be dim, reduced power
consumption
‘Off’ – The display will automatically switch off after 5
seconds unless a control is operated for maximum
power saving or discretion on set.
Click the left switch to return to MENU, alternatively
you can return to the basic operation (BRI / COL) by
pressing both control switches together.
(‘FADE’) DESIGNER FADE™
(Programmable fade up / fade down for practical
‘in-camera’ production fade effects)
Scroll to ‘FADE’
Click the right switch to enter ‘FADE’ mode
Rotate the right knob to adjust the fade duration
DISP
Lit with 1 x Rotolight
AEOS, Sony A6300,
Sony 10-18mm,
ISO 100, F4.0,
1/15th(tripod)
12

13

(range is up to 12 seconds up or down)
(It will display DN (=fade down) followed by a
numerical value ‘X’s where X = seconds of fade
duration)
The fade can be from 1 to 12 seconds long.
Please note, the FADE will be a fade to zero from
the current brightness level the AEOS is set to (i.e. if
brightness is currently 80%, then fade will be 80%-
0% over custom time duration).
(NB: both the last used brightness setting and fade
duration parameter are stored in non volatile memory)
Once you have selected the length of the fade, click the
right switch to perform the fade (you can also trigger the
fade using an external flash trigger via the FLASH sync
port).
You will notice the display now shows UP X s (i.e. it will
now fade up to your previous brightness setting over ‘X’
seconds)
To fade up click the Right switch again
If you only want Fade downs use the Left switch to
click out of FADE and click back in – use the Right
switch to perform the Fade.
Click the left switch to return to MENU, alternatively
you can return to the basic operation menu (BRI /
COL) by pressing both control switches together.
(‘SFX’) CINEMATIC SPECIAL EFFECTS
In collaboration with Stefan Lange, DOP and
Visual FX Veteran, we have created an arsenal of
Cinematographic Special FX ( CineSFX™ ) , these
production tools are designed to complement your
feature/ music video/short film.
SFX Brightness and Colour Temperature :
Please note, the current ‘BRI’ brightness level and
‘COL’ colour temperature setting of AEOS is used
by SFX mode to represent the ‘peak output’ level
of each effect, enabling accurate metering (i.e. if
AEOS is set to 75% brightness and 5600 Kelvin,
then the lightning effect peak brightness level
shall be 75% brightness at 5600 Kelvin).
14

Therefore, to ensure maximum SFX brightness,
set AEOS to 100% brightness and 4300 Kelvin for
maximum brightness in SFX mode.
To adjust the colour temperature of the light to
better match your desired effect, i.e. for ‘Fire’, set the
‘COL’ to 3150kelvin, for ‘TV’ set the ‘COL’ to ‘6000k’,
for Lightning’ set the ‘COL’ to 6300k. To do this, once
you have selected your desired SFX (ie FIRE), press
hold AND rotate the right knob to set the desired
‘Colour Temperature’ (in kelvin, from 3150-6300k).
To similarly adjust the peak (maximum) brightness
level of your desired effect, once you have selected
your desired effect press, hold & rotate the left knob.
WARNING - HEALTH HAZARD – USE STROBE WITH
CAUTION: CineSFX™ mode uses Strobe Lighting effects
that may pose a risk to those at risk of photosensitive
seizures/ epilepsy. Manufacturer accepts no liability
or responsibility for misuse of this product. You should
take all precautions to pre-warn and ensure the safety of
those who may come into contact with the product. If
you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or
epilepsy, consult a doctor before using. If you feel unwell
from using these effects, immediately discontinue use
and consult a doctor. If strobe lighting is to be used in
a production, warnings should be posted at the front of
house or entrance doors to the set/theater as well as in
a video or program, if distributed. Example: “WARNING:
Strobe lights are used during this performance”.
This product is not suitable for use by children of any age
and is designed for professional use only.
(‘SFX’) CINEMATIC SPECIAL EFFECTS (CineSFX™)
Click the Right switch to enter ‘SFX’
Rotating the left knob cycles through the available
‘SFX’:-‘Strb’ - ‘Ltng’ - ‘Thrb’ - ‘Cycl’ - ‘Fire’ - ‘Plce’ - ‘TV’
You can activate your selected SFX function by
clicking the Right switch
You can leave the selected function by clicking the
left switch, alternatively you can return to the basic
operation mode (BRI /COL) at any time by pressing
both switches together at the same time.
SFX
15

(‘Strb’) STROBE
The Strobe effect produces a regular flashing light,
you can control the speed
Click the right switch to activate the strobe effect,
Rotate the right knob to adjust the strobe speed
(It will display XX hz , where= ‘XX’ = number of strobe
cycles per second). The strobe range is from 0.3hz
up to 7hz. (NB: the last used strobe parameters
are stored in non volatile memory). Rotate the left
knob to adjust the ‘duty cycle’ (flash duration) to
eliminate any issues with rolling shutter cameras
(This is known as ‘Rolling Shutter Compensation’)
where you can match the light flashes to match the
Shutter Speed and/or Frame Rate of your camera,
to avoid unlit portions of the image/frame. Click the
left switch to exit the Strobe Menu and return to
SFX Menu.
(‘Ltng’) LIGHTNING
The lightning effect simulates real lightning, it is
a random effect but you can control the speed at
which the lightning bursts re-occur, and because
this is a stroboscopic effect you can also adjust the
‘Rolling Shutter Compensation’, and this effect is
triggerable. Ideally you would set the brightness
(BRI) to 100% and the colour (COL) temperature to
6000k.
Click the right switch to activate the lightning effect
Rotate the right knob to adjust the lightning cluster
re-occurance speed.
(It will display XX hz which is an indication of the
effect frequency) The lightning range is from 1hz up
to 50hz.
Click the right switch to arm the effect and fade
to black, ‘Trig’ will be displayed - re-click the right
switch to trigger the effect (you can also use a flash
trigger connected to the ‘FLASH’ port jack to trigger
and stop the lighting).
Rotate the left knob to adjust the ‘duty cycle’ (flash
duration) to eliminate any issues with rolling shutter
cameras. (NB: the last used lightning parameters
are stored in non volatile memory).
Click the left control switch to exit the lightning
STRB
LTNG
16

effect and return to SFX Menu.
(NB the duration of the lightning flashes is
20ms which is the recommended duration for
cinematography, The lightning strikes come in
bursts of between 2 and 8 random length pulses)
(‘Thrb’) THROB
Throb is a regular smoothly pulsing light.
Click the right switch to activate the ‘Throb’ effect.
Rotate either the left or right knob to adjust the
‘Throb’ effect frequency
(It will display XX hz which is an indication of the
effect frequency). The Throb range is from 1hz up to
50hz. (NB: the Throb parameters are stored in non
volatile memory). Click the left switch to exit the
Throb effect and return to SFX Menu.
(‘Cycl’) Colour CYCLE
Cycle is a regular smoothly pulsing light which
fades between the tungsten and blue LEDs
Click the right switch to activate the ‘Colour CYCLE’
effect.
Rotate either the left or right knob to adjust the
‘Cycle’ effect frequency (It will display XX hz which
is an indication of the effect frequency)
The Cycle range is from 1hz up to 50hz. (NB: the Cycle
parameters are stored in non volatile memory).
Click the left switch to exit the Cycle effect and
return to SFX Menu.
(‘Fire’) FIRE
Fire is a complex emulation of a burning fire and
it can be tuned to your requirements. Some
VFX artists like to use multiple lights with slightly
different settings/gels to achieve a fire with ‘dancing
shadows’ and stereoscopic characteristics.
NB Before activating the Fire effect it is a good idea
to adjust the ‘COL’ colour to 3150 kelvin.
Thrb
Cycl
FIRE
17

You can meter ‘AEOS’ output which will be your
peak exposure during the Fire effect.
Click the right switch to activate the ‘Fire’ effect.
Rotate either the right knob to adjust the ‘Fire’
effect frequency (It will display XX hz which is an
indication of the effect frequency – around 45hz is
nice for a ‘campfire’).
Rotate either the left knob to adjust the ‘Fire’ effect
depth threshold (residual glow) (about 35% is nice
for a ‘campfire’)
(It will display XX % which is an indication of the
effect depth).
Inside the fire effect there is a switchable parameter
called ‘ColourSwing BLUE’ which emulates the
colour transition of flames going up the chimney
(i.e. from yellow to blue), to activate this parameter
click the right button (‘BLUE’ is displayed).
To deactivate ‘Colour Swing BLUE’ click the right
knob again and ‘MONO’ (Monochrome) will be
displayed.
(NB: the Fire parameters are stored in non volatile
memory)
The fire effect can be enhanced with a warm
colour filter included within the optional add on
Colour FX Pack (RL-AEOS-CFP) available from your
dealer or www.Rotolight.com (‘205’ LED CTO is
recommended for best impact, ‘182’ Light Red also
works well, or an Amber, CT Straw or other CTO
filter).
(‘Plce’) POLICE
This effect is an emulation of an emergency services
light – it works best by adding the 712 Bedford Blue,
or ‘182’ Light Red Filter Gel included within the
optional Add On Colour FX Pack.
Click the right switch to activate the Police effect
Rotate either the left or right knob to adjust the
Police beacon speed
PLCE
18

(It will display XX hz , which will give you an
indication of the effect speed)
(NB: the Police parameters are stored in non
volatile memory). Click the left switch to exit the
Police effect and return to SFX Menu.
(‘TV’) TELEVISION
This effect is an emulation of someone watching a
TV show – it works best by setting the ‘COL’ colour
to around 6000kelvin to emulate the light from a
cathode ray tube.
Click the right switch to activate the TV effect.
Rotate either the left or right knob to adjust the TV
effect speed (It will display XX hz , which will give
you an indication of the effect speed).
Click the right switch to pause the effect / fade to
black - ‘Trig’ will be displayed - re-click the right
switch again to Trigger the effect. (you can also use
an external flash trigger to trigger the TV effect, just
connect this to the ‘FLASH’ sync port on the rear of
AEOS)
(NB: the TV parameters are stored in non volatile
memory). Click the left switch to exit the TV effect
and return to SFX Menu.
Click the left switch to return to MENU, alternatively
you can return to the basic operation (BRI / COL) by
pressing both control switches together.
‐TV‐
TV SIMULATION LIGHTNING FIRE
19

Lit by Rotolight AEOS, Photo by Mark Mann for DEADLINE
MICHAEL KELLY, STAR OF HIT SHOW ‘HOUSE OF CARDS’
20