Sunpak AP-52 User manual

SUNPRH"
.F
RP.52
I
: AUTIITHYRISTOR:
ELECTRONIC
FLASHUNIT
a
Owner's
Manual

IMPORTANTSAFECUARDS
When using your photographic
equipment, basic
safety
precautions
should
always
be
followed,
includ-
ingthe
following:
1. Read andunderstandall instructions.
2. Closesupervision
is necessary
when any appliance
isusedby or nearchildren.
Do not leave appliance
unattended
while in use.
3. Do not operate
appliance
if theappliance
has
been
dropped or damaged-until it has beenexamined
by a
qualif
ied
serviceman.
4. To protect against
electrical
shock
hazards,do not
immersethis
appliance
inwater
or other
liquids.
5. To avoid
electricshock
hazard,do not disassemble
this
appliance,
but takeit to a
qualif
ied
serviceman
wnen some service
or repair work is required.
lncorrect reassemblycan cause electric shock
hazardwhenthe appliance
isusedsubsequently.
6. Do not operateappliance
with adamaged
cord.
7. Do not let cordhangoveredge
of tableor counter
or touch hot surfaces.
B. lf an extension cord is necessary,
careshould be
taken to arrange
the cord so that it will not be
tripped
over
or pulled.
9. Always unplug appliances
from electrical
outlet
when not in use. Never yank cord to pull plug
- from outlet.
Grasp
plug
and
pull
to disconnect.
SA/E
THESE
INSTRUCTIONS
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Description
ofParts
1. Flashtube Housing
2. Accessory
Mounting
Grooves
3. Vertical Bounce
Scale
4. Flash
Synchro
PC
Cord
Outlet
5. Auto Sensor
6. F
lash
Grip
7. Bracket
Mounting
Guide
8. Bracket
Mounting
Socket
9. Bounce
Head
10. I
nstantReadout
Exposu
reControl
Center
1
1
. AC/s1
0V Outlet
12. Battery
lAC.HV Selector
(On/Off
)
Switch
13. Ready/Test
(Open
Flash)
Button
14. ASA Scale
15. ASA Selector
Switch
16. Auto Distance
Scale
17. Auto F/Stop
Scale
18. Auto SignalLamp
19. Auto/Manual
Selector
Switch
20. Battey H
older
Manual
(Power
Ratio)Operation
21. Power
Ratio
Control
Index
22. Distance Scale
for Normal
and
Tele/Wide
Accessories
23. Power
Ratio
ControlSelector
Dial
24. F/Stop
Scale
25. Flash
SynchroPC
Cord
26. Adapter
Plug
for Powerpak
for 510V Batteries
27. Filter Holder
28. Wide-Angle
Diffuser
29. Camera Mounting
Bracket
30. Camera
Retaining
Screw
31. Ff
ash
Retaining
Screw
14
15
16
17

Description
ofParts
1. Flashtube Housing
2. Accessory Mounting Grooves
3. Vertical
Bounce
Scale
4. Flash
Synchro
PC
Cord Outlet
5. Auto Sensor
6. F
lash
Grip
7. Bracket
Mounting Guide
8. Bracket Mounting Socket
9. BounceHead
10. Instant
Readout
Exposure
Control
Center
AC/s10V
Outlet
Battery/AC.
HV Selector (On
lOttl
Switch
Ready/Test
(Open Flash
) Button
ASA Scale
ASA Selector
Switch
Auto Distance
Scale
Auto F/StopScale
Auto SignalLamp
Auto/Manual
Selector
Switch
Battey H
older
Manual (PowerRatiol Operation
21. PowerRatio Control Index
22. Distance Scale
for Normal and
Tele/Wide Accessories
23. Power Ratio Control Selector
Dial
24. F/Stop Scale
25. Flash
Synchro PC
Cord
26. Adapter Plug
for Powerpak
for 510V Batteries
27. Filter
Holder
28. Wide-Angle
Diffuser
29. Camera Mounting Bracket
30. CameraRetaining
Screw
31. Flash
Retaining
Screw
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
3
14
15
16
21.
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-14 2
-15
-16
-17
-18
-19
-20
Zg .l,: #
,
*

Introduction
Welcometo theworld-widefamily
of
SUNPAK
owners!
Morethan
seven
million
SUNPAK
electronicflash
systemshave
been
chosen
byphotographers
throughout
theworld
for theirrugged
construction,
innovative
design,
and
fast,
easy
opera-
tion.
To insure that
youget
themost
outof your electronic
f
lash,
please
take
the
few
minutesrequired
to check
through
thisowner'smanual
with
your
SUNPAK
f
lashinfront
ofyou.
Condensed
0perating
Instructionsfor
Automatic
0peration
1. $t the ASA.
2. SettheAuto/Manual
Selector
Switchto
the
green
or
yellow
"A" position.
3. MovetheBattery/ACHV
Selector
Switchto
the
"batt"
position.
4. Waitfor
the
Ready/Test
amberlight
to
glow.
5. Settheapertureon
your
camera
tothe
corresponding
aperturewhichappearsin
the
computerf/stop
window.
You
are
ready
totake
your
pictures.
For
morecreativeuse
with
your
Sunpak
AP-52,
please
read
page
tI to25.
Table
ofConten$
DescriptionofParts ........3
OPERATION
PovverSources ....5
To InstallBatteries ......6
UsingMulti-Voltage AC Adapter
or Sunpak Pouverpakfor Sl GVolt
(High
Voltage)
Battery .....7
Mounting the Flash
to the Camera . . . . 8
OPERATION OF THE POWER/EXPOSURE
CONTROL CENTER
AutomaticOperation ....9
Takingthe
Picture ......10
Power Ratio (Manual) Operation . . . . . 11
UsingPower Ratio for Better
Pictures .......13
SelectingtheFlash
Position . . .. .. .15
For BetterBounce
Flash
Pictures.. . . .16
CopyPhotography ..;.19
Hints for Taking Photographs
Using
aCopySet-Up .......2O
OtherFlashHints ....21
Multiple Flash
Operation with the
Sunpak
Auto Slave
Unit . . .. . . .22
AccessoriesAvailablefor the AP-52. . . . . .23
InsideYourAP-52 ....24
GuideNumberand'Flashmatic'
CameraOperation. ......25
Careof Your Electronic Flash . . . . .26
Specifications... ....27
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Operation POWER
SOURCES:
Your Sunpak AP-52
may be usedwith five
different power sou
rces:
Four AA alkaline batteries
(not includedl Four AA rechargeable nickel-cadm ium batteries
(optional)
The
Sunpak
Multi-Voltage
AC Adapter IAD-27I-
(optional)
The
Sunpak510Vrechargeable
batteryNC510
(for usewith
Sunpak
Powerpak)
(optional)
TheSunpak
Powerpak
for
51O-Volt
(Hign
Voltage)
Batteries
(optional)

To Install
Batteries:
1. Remove
battery holder from
flash
handle
as
illustrated. 2. Open the battery holder as
illustrated. 3. Insert
four AA sizebatteries
(alkaline
or nickel-cadmium)
as
shown.The battery holder has
a guide
showingthe correct
positioning of the batteries
for
proper polarity. (+, - contacts)
4. Replace
the loaded
battery holder
into the battery chamber of
your AP-52
asillustrated.
Alkaline
or Nickel-Cadmium
Batteries?
The major advantage
of alkalinebatteries
is
that they provide
moreflashes
perset.
Whilenickel-cadmium
batteries
will prwide
fewer flashes
per set,
they will recycle
your Ap-52
slightly faster
and can be recharged
hundreds
of timesfor more economical
operation overthe long run.
www.orphancameras.com

Using
theMulti-Voltage
AG
Adapter
ortheSunpak
Powerpak
for 510-Volt
Batteries
1. For AC operation, besure
to
check that the voltage selector
on your Multi-Voltage AC
Adapter issetto the apPropri-
atevoltage.Your AC Adapter
has
beenfactory set for 12f^V,
the U.S.
standard.For use
in
other countrieswhere 100V,
22OV and 24OV are standard,
you may adiust the setting as
illustrated.Removethe small
Phillips
head
screwlocated
next
to voltage window and rotate
the selectorswitch with a screw
driver to the proper voltage
setting. After the voltage setting
hasbeenmade,the screw must
be reinstalledto prevent acciden-
tal movement of the selector
switch.
Z Pluginto the AC/High Voltage
socketon the flash and into a
standard
unll outlet as
illus-
trated. The AC Adapter will
supply
virtually unlimited
flashes
and isideal
for indoor
use.
Note: lf the Multi-Voltage AC
Adapter is incorrectly set,the
adapter will not function Proper-
ly and may damage
your AP-52.
3. Whenyou usethe optional
accessorySunpak Porruerpak
for
51O-Volt Batte
ry, tirst attach
the supplied
plug adapter
to the
end of Powerpakcord and Plug
it into the AP-52 in the same
manneras
you tu)uld with the
Multi-Voltage AC Adapter.
The Sunpak Powerpak
for 51G
Volt Battery allows extremelY
rapid recycle
times and the
greatest
number of flashes.
rWhenusing
Multi-VoltageAC Adapteror Sunpak
Powerpak
for SlGVolt Batteri6, always
set
Battery/AC HV Selestor
Switchto AC/HV posataon.

MOUNTING
THE
FLASH
TO
THE
CAMERA:
1. Attach the bracket to the
'Bracket Mounting Socket' at
the bottom of the grip as
illus-
trated,and tighten the screw
f
irmly.
Z Centerthe cameraretaining
screwunderyour camera's
tripod socket,
and tighten
securely.
3. Connect
the PC
cord to the
flash
synchro(PC)
terminal
(insert
theconnecting
pin until
it snaps
into position),
and the
camera'sflash
terminal asshown.
* lf the camera
has
separate
flash
terminals
marked'M' and 'X',
attach Sunpakcord to the 'X'
terminal.
* lf the camerahas
a switch
(usually
aroundthe lens
barrell
marked 'M' and 'X', set
the
switch to the 'X' position.
4. Setthe shutter speed
dial to the
fastestshutter speedrecom-
mendedfor f
lash
synchroniza-
tion. On single-lens
reflex
cameras
with focal-plane
shut-
ters,
thisspeed isusually
1/6Oth
or 1l125th andsometimes
marked 'X' on the shutter speed
ring;
cameras
with in-thelens
shuttersusually
allow synchroni-
zation at speeds
up to 1
/800th
second.Do not setthe shutter
to a speed faster than 1/800th
second,
as
this may cause
under-
exposure
when the flash isused
at maximum pov\rer. I
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Automatic
Operation
The sensitive
silicon
photo transis-
tor of your AP-52sensor
measures
the light reflected
from your
subject
andautomatically
controls
the flash
duration to assure
correct
exposurewithin a wide range
of
distances.
By movingthe Auto/
ManualSelector
Switch to either
thegreen
or yellow 'A' mark,
Your
flash
is
set
for automatic operation.
It'seasy to use:
1. Set the Film Speed
Scale
to the
appropriate
ASA setting.
For
the ASA ratingof your f
ilm,
referto the instructionssupplied
with thefilm.
Note: lf the ASA numberfor your film is
not indicatedon the ASA film
speedscale,
use
an intermediate
markings
asshown.
Marked ASA
Speeds: 25 50 100 200 400 800
lntermediate
Nos: 32 40 64 80 125 160 2ffi 320 500 640
I
OPERATION
OF THE
POWER/EXPOSURE
CONTROL
CENTER
Z For the maximum distance
range
in automatic
oPeration,
move
the Auto/Manual Selector
Switch to the green
'A' Position,
sothat the green
line and
f
12.8
appear
(ASA 100 Film).Then
set
your camera
lens
oPening
(for ASA 100film, the lens
opening
is
t
12.8l..
Your flashand lensare
now set
for correct exposure
at all dis-
tancesbetween 4.6 feet and 35
feet.
3. For maximum depth-of-f
ield
(greatest
sharpness
in front of,
and in back
of, the subject)
movethe Auto/Manual Selector
Switch
to the
yellow'A' posi-
tion,so
the
yellow line
and
f/5.6 appear.
Thenset
your camera
lens
opening
(for ASA 1OO
f
ilm,
the
lensopening
isf/5.6).
Your flash
and lens
are
now
adjusted
for correct exposureat
af
l distances
betwee
n 2.3 feet
and 17.5
feet.

TAKING
THEPICTURE:
It's easy - just follow these steps:
1. Movethe Battery/AC HV Switch
(onthe backof the flash)
to the
'batt'position.
2. You will hear
afaint hum and,
in a few seconds,
the Ready/
Test Button on the back of flash
will start
to glow.Thisconfirms
that your flash isreadyto fire.
3. Take the picture !
Your flash
will automatically
deliver
the correct amount of
light
for correctexposure
within
the distance rangeindicated.
For succeeding
exposures. . .
Just wait until the ready/test
lightcomeson. Make
sure
you
are
within the usable auto
distancerange
for the lens
opening
in use
and . . . shoot!
To Verify Correct
Auto Exposure:
To verify correct automatic ex-
posure,
justaim your f
lash
directly
toward your subjectand press
the
'Ready/Test'
button. Thiswill cause
the flash
to fire without actually
exposing
any film. lf the automatic
exposure
is
correct for your subject,
the green
'Auto Signal'
lamp
will
glow immediately
afterthe 'test'
exposure.
lf the lamp does not
glow, move closerto your subject
(or, if you areshooting
in yellow
auto mode, switch to green
and
adjustthe aperture
accordingly.).
This green lamp provides
positive
verification
that in automatic
operation,
your picturewill be
correctly exposed.
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Power
Ratio
(Manual)
Operation
With Sunpak's
uniquePowerRatio
Controlyou can
adjustthe light
output overa five stop range,
(from
fulfto 1116
power.).
This
feature
gives
you greater
depth-of-field
control,
ability to control battery
life
and
recycle
times,
precise
fill-
in flash capability,
macro/close-up
capability
andthe ability to control
flashduration.
Using
the PowerRatioControl
1. Set the Auto/Manual Selector 3.
Switch to 'M' for manual power
ratio operation.
2. Set the film speed
scale
to the
desired
ASA setting (example
ASA 100).
at FullPower:
Adjust the power ratio control
to full power by turning Power
Ratio Selector
Dial.
The scales
for distance and
f
/stop now show the correct
exposures.
Find the f
lash-to-
su
bject (
not camera-to-subject)
distance.
(example 12'l
Set
your lensto the lens
open-
ing
shown
for thisdistance.
(example:
with ASA 100
film,
the correctlens
openingat 12'
is
f/8).

USINGPOWER
RATIO
Aswhen using
the Power Ratio
at Full power,
set
the Film Speed
Scaleto the appropriate ASA
ratingand be sure
the Auto/
Manual
Selector
Switch is
on "M".
Determinethe distance
of your
subject
f
rom your f
lash.When
the AP-52 ismounted to
the camera,
you caneasily
do
so by focusing
your camera's
lens
and reading
the distance
indicatedby the distance
scale
on the lens.
3. Turn the Power Ratio Control
Dial
until you have thedesired
f/stop oppositethis distance.
ALWAYS TURN THE POWER
RATIO CONTROL DIAL TO
A MARKED (CLICK STOP)
POSITION. DO NOT SET THE
POWER RATIO BETWEEN
MARKED RATIOS OR THE
UNIT WILL NOT OPE
RATE
,4S DESI RED.
(Example:
9 feet,
with ASA lOO
f
ifm, you may choosef
11
1
,8,
5.6,4and 2.8).
Be
sure
the distance
scaleshows
there isthe proper amount of
light for the correct exposure
of
your sublect.lf not, increase
or
decrease
the power as needed.
You are
now readyto take your
picture.
Remember
to adjust
the
apertureon your lens
to match
the apertureindicated on the
calculator
scale.
6. When usinga tele adapter or wide
angle diff user, refer to the color
coding to read the f/stop or
distance. Bl ue Iines correspond
to the tele adapter, and red lines
correspond to the wide angle
dif
f
users.
4.
5.
2.
www.orphancameras.com

USING
POWER
RATIO
FORBETTER
PICTURES
Depth-of-Field
Note that the top picture has
greater
depth-of-field
(tne
backgroundand
thesubject
are
in focus)
and
the
bottom picturehas
little depth-of-
field (tne
subject
isin focus
but the
background
isnot).
Because
of the versatilityof
Power
Ratio control, you have
a
choiceof up to f
ive
different
apertures
for maximum controlof
depth-of-field.
Use
this control to
create
the picturesyou want.
Examples:
When
photographing
still
life,
more
depth-of-field
is
often required.Use
the higher
powersettings
andsmaller
lensopenings
for best results.
For portraits,
use
the lowerpower
settings
and larger
lens
openings
for
lessdepth-of-field.

Precise
Fill-ln Flash
Themajor advantage of fill-in flash
is
that it renders attractive
outdoor
portraits
because
it eliminatesharsh
shadows.Simplyset
your camera's
aperture
according
to the meter
reading
for the background.Next set
your Power
Ratio to that aperture
opposite
the actualflash-to-subject
distance.Be
sure
to use
ashutter
speed
that
will synchronize with
electronic
flash.
The top picture
wastakenwithout
fall-in
flash.
Thebottom picture
wastaken
with fill-inflash.
Note
how much more pleasing
the
lower
oneis.
Freezing
Action
Your AP-52canfreeze almost
any actionat f
ull power with a
f
lash
speed
of just 1/800th second.
For evenbriefer flashduration,
which will allowfreezing
of the
fastest
action,you can usethe
PonrerRatio'slouer settings
to
obtain speeds
as
fast as
1/1O,OOOth
second.See
chart below.
Working
WithMotor Drive
Cameras
By using
the 1/16tn Power
Ratio
setting,
far less energyis
expended
with eachflashandthe AP-52
will recycle
almostinstantly.
With
freshbatteries,
you can shoot up
to three pictures
per second,thus
makingthe AP-52 idealfor use
with motor-drivenand auto-wind
cameras.
* For motor drive
operation,
theSunpak
Povverpak
for 51O-Voltbatteries
(C;t.
No.651-723)
will provide
the best
results.
(You canshoot up to four picturesper
second.)
* Note:When
taking up to 40 frames
con-
tinuously,
rest
theflash unit for 1O
minutesor more.
WM
Nffi
Power Ratio Flash
Duration
Fu
ll- 1
/80Oth sec.
112
- 1/1500th
sec.
114
- 1/3000th sec.
118
- 1/7000th sec.
1116-1/1O0Ofth sec.
www.orphancameras.com

Selecting
Flash
Position
Your Sunpak AP-52 has
a unique
flash
head
assembly
which
allows
you to aimthe light
in manydirections.Thisenables
you to usethe Sunpak
AP-52to render
more pleasing
andmore
creative
lightingresults.
For added
convenience,
the adjustable
Bounce
FlashHeadis
marked
so
you can
determinethe exact
angleof bounce
you desire.
WIDE
ANGLELENSES:
The reflector is
designedto llluminate the picture
formatof
a
35mm wide angle
lens
on a 35mm camera.lf you use wider
angle
lenses,use
wide'angle
diffusers.
28mm wide
angle
diffuser
is
supplied
with your AP-52 and
alsoavailable
in option
together
with 21mmwide
angle
diffuser
by Sunpak
Filter
Kit,
Cat.
No. 651
-738.
Bouncelighting
may also
be used to increase
flash
coverage.
* Your AP-52rotates every 15o
on the bracket.Just loosen
the
flashretaining
screwand rotate
the flashbody at any degree
required,
then fasten
the screw
securely.This offersmore
creative
lighting
options in
manual
operation.
lf using
automatic
operation,
the built-in
sensor
will properly adjust
the f lash
for
perfectly
exposed
pictures.
Note: The auto sensor
must always
face
the subject
for properauto ex-
posure
control.
-h;ftx"fr

Don't Stand Too Close
to Your Subject.
X Wrong Way A)'..
OF
RV
IY
lt
F4
\tl
)r
u
I
I
For
Better
Bounce
Flash
Pictures
O nisht
Way ,,
Reason: The light will be reflected downward at
an angle
so acute that no light (or very little
light) can reach your subject's face. This will
cause
unpleasant looking dark (shadow) areas
under the subject's eyes and nose.
Rotate
thef
lash
suff
iciently
to prevent
the
subject
or the backgrou
nd immediately
beh
ind
thesubjectf
rom receiving
anyportion of direct
light
f
rom the
f
lash.
O n
isht
Way
Remember that you can bounce light off the wall
if the ceiling is too high. In many homes, a white
wall makes an excellent reflective surface for
bounce f
lash ...and, quite often, more light can
reach the subject since the light does not have to
X Wtong Way
/1,, \
I
I
I
I
I
tl
tl
tl
RfA
IY E1"
t {',J
qI[J
X Wrong Way ./ \- \
--'
/.--tby'
wb
rNl
IY
Yfl
\t
II
il
s!
/s,
-ffi
(l
Iu
O nisht
Way
/O
trE
N]
H
\il
I
,)-
/ds,. \
r l#f{ \
\ lA -t\
\. )\
\/\
r/ \
\.
(-'-,--J
\ \l/
\ \\l
\ Lt)
travel as far. 16
www.orphancameras.com

X Wrong
Way
;::
," ,'u* '
Mr,'
..s
fl#
&H
Onignt way
lf you can'tfind a suitablebounce
surface,
you can
makeone...lf the wall or ceiling
isany color other than white,your subject will showthat color in the finished
photograOh.
Therefore, create
your own bounce surface...possiblyyou can use an
ordinary
piece
of white cardboard
heldor taped in front of the flashtube
housing
so
that it reflects
the lightonto the subject.
17
X Wrong
way ,ff'.:
IY
R
I't*T__-l
l'shrp I
l\l
]r----r
/i \\..
/ \'
ORignt w"y
i---r'
\\
In close-up
photography,
many excellent
lighting
effects
canbe
achievedby using
one or more pieces
of white cardboardas
ref
lective surfaces
in bounce flash.The soft, diffused effect
of "bounce" lightoften reveals
fascinatingdetailsof small
objects.