Inspiration strikes VM-260 FLEXIBLE MACRO FLASH User’s Manual
Copyright © 2017 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.
Thank you for choosing Bolt. Ideal for macro photography and illuminating close-up subjects, Bolt’s VM-260 employs dual flashes mounted on 11-inch flexible arms for precise placement. This lightweight on-camera flash provides the high output needed to capture subjects at a close range while maintaining a wide depth of field. The flash offers a guide number of 39 feet at ISO 100, and the output is adjustable in eight steps from 1/1 to 1/128 power.
Precautions • Please read and follow these instructions, and keep this manual in a safe place. • Keep this product away from water and any flammable gases or liquids. • Do not attempt to disassemble or repair this product. There are components inside that can produce a hazardous electric shock. • Always install AA batteries of the same type and age. Do not combine different types or old and new batteries.
Contents Overview.....................................................................................................................................................6–9 Installing Batteries...................................................................................................................................10–11 Mounting the VM-260....................................................................................................................................
2 3 4 5 M S1 S2 13 6 S1/S2 MODE TEST ON/OFF 12 11 7 10 9 8 6 | Overview 1
Overview Flexible LED Lights: 1. Twin flashtubes 2. Flexible arms Power Control Unit: 3. Control panel 4. Battery compartment cover 5. Mode button 6. S1/S2 selector button 7. Left navigation button 8. Mounting foot 9. Locking wheel 10. Right navigation button 11. Set button 12. On/off button 13.
14 M 15 S1 S2 16 17 18 S1/S2 8 | Overview MODE TEST ON/OFF
Control Panel 14. Manual mode indicator 15. Slave mode indicators 16. Flash output indicator 17. Ready indicator 18.
Installing Batteries The VM-260 can be powered by three AA batteries of several types: • Lithium (1.5 V) • Nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) (1.2 V) • Alkaline (1.5 V) Note: For the longest battery life, lithium or Ni-MH batteries are recommended. To install batteries, make sure the VM-260 is turned off, and follow these steps: 1. 2. 3. Press on the battery compartment cover, and slide it in the direction of the arrow to open it.
Important! When battery power is low, the battery level indicator will blink on the LCD. Replace all three batteries at the same time. Do not mix battery types or brands, or use old and new batteries together.
Mounting the VM-260 To mount the VM-260 on your camera, make sure the unit is turned off, and follow these steps: 1. 2. 3. Rotate the locking wheel counterclockwise to loosen it. Slide the mounting foot all the way into your camera’s hot shoe. Rotate the locking wheel clockwise until secure. Before dismounting the VM-260 from your camera, make sure it’s turned off.
Turning On the VM-260 and Firing a Test To turn the VM-260 on, press and hold the On/off button until the control panel lights up. To fire a test, press the Test button. After firing the flash, the ready indicator will blink to indicate the capacitor is charging. Once it’s recharged, the indicator will stop blinking. Automatic power-saving function: After 2 minutes of inactivity, the VM-260 enters power-saving mode. Press the Test button to resume use.
Battery level indicator: Press the Set button to check the battery level. The LED indicators show the remaining battery power. Each two LEDs indicate 25% of the battery power. LED Display Status Battery Level 70%–100% 40%–69% 10%–39% 0%–9% When there is less than 25% battery power remaining, the two LEDs on the left will blink. Brightness Adjustment The brightness output of the VM-260 can be adjusted from 1/1 to 1/128 power. To adjust the output, press the right or left navigation buttons.
Manual Mode In manual mode the VM-260 is triggered by the camera via the hot-shoe connection. To select manual mode, press the Mode button so the manual mode indicator is lit. Slave Mode The VM-260 has an optical sensor that will trigger the flash when it detects a burst from your master flash. There are two slave modes to select from: S1 Mode: When the VM-260 is set to S1 mode, it will fire in sync with every flash from the master.
To select slave mode: Press the S1/S2 button to select the appropriate slave mode. Press the right or left navigation buttons to increase or decrease the brightness. The onscreen power output level indicator displays the current brightness output.
Troubleshooting Problem Solution The battery indicator fluctuates between full and empty when repeatedly reinstalling the same batteries. This is normal and may happen when the batteries are nearly exhausted. Replace the batteries. The VM-260 is stuck in the camera hot shoe. Make sure that the locking wheel is released. The VM-260 is turned on, but the flash tubes won’t fire. • Make sure that fresh batteries are installed and are in the proper orientation.
Specifications Type On-camera LED flexible macro flash Compatible cameras Canon, Nikon, Sony, and select Fujifilm, Olympus, Pentax, and Panasonic Flash guide number (GN) 39 ft. @ ISO 100 Power source AA lithium, NiMH, or alkaline batteries (×3) Sync ≤1/200 sec. Dimensions (H × W × D) 17.5 × 2.9 × 1.5 in. (44.4 × 7.4 × 3.8 cm) Weight (without batteries) 7.4 oz. (209.8 g) FCC Compliance This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1.
One-Year Limited Warranty This BOLT product is warranted to the original purchaser to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal consumer use for a period of one (1) year from the original purchase date or thirty (30) days after replacement, whichever occurs later.
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