FREEWAVE IR COMMANDER WIRELESS INFRARED TTL FLASH TRIGGER FOR CANON E-TTL (FWIRC-C) USER MANUAL
THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING VELLO The Vello FWIRC-C FreeWave IR Commander is the nexus of your wireless flash setup, enabling you to set and control all functions of your wireless slave flash units. Equipped with for total wireless E-TTL control. It also offers high-speed sync with compatible flashes, allowing you to use shutter speeds higher than your camera’s top flash sync speed.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Precautions ���������������������������������������������������� 4 Turning on the FreeWave IR Commander ������������������������������������������� 12 Key Features �������������������������������������������������� 6 Selecting Channels ������������������������������������� 14 Overview ������������������������������������������������������� 7 About Flash Groups ���������������������������������� 14 Compatible Devices ������������������������������������ 8 E-TTL Mode ����������������������
PRECAUTIONS • Please read and follow these instructions and keep this manual in a safe place. • Keep this product away from water, moisture, and any flammable gases or liquids. • Do not attempt to disassemble or repair this product. • Should this product sustain physical damage, 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 contact Vello Customer Service.
• Keep the metal contacts in the battery compartment clean and free of corrosion and dirt. Do not touch them with your fingers. Corrosive elements on the contacts can damage this product and prevent it from functioning properly. Contacts may be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab. • Do not clean this product with agents containing corrosive or flammable substances. • All images are for illustrative purposes only. • Handle this product with care.
KEY FEATURES 180° rotation: Pivots to achieve IR line of sight. Manual mode: Can manually adjust power output in 1/3 increments. Wireless E-TTL (evaluative through-the-lens): Makes Standby mode: Reduces power consumption. full use of your flashes’ builtin E-TTL technology. Internal memory: Remembers settings when turned off. TTL exposure compensation: Enables adjustment of TTL exposure by ±3 EV with finetuning by 1/3 of a stop. High-speed sync: Allows flash synchronization up to 1/8000 of a second.
OVERVIEW Front 1. Battery chamber 1 2. AF-assist light 2 3. Transmitter 4. Locking wheel 3 5. Mounting foot 6. LCD 4 7. Mode button 5 8. Test button/flash ready light [ 9. Navigation buttons [ 10. Set button 11. FN button 12.
COMPATIBLE DEVICES INSTALLING BATTERIES The Vello FWIRC-C FreeWave IR Commander is compatible with Canon’s E-TTL and E-TTL II (evaluative through-the-lens) system. To make full use of the FreeWave IR The FreeWave Commander is powered by two AA batteries. To install batteries, make sure the device is turned off and follow these steps: Commander, use E-TTL-capable hotshoe flashes that are fully compatible with your camera’s E-TTL system. 1.
SETTING UP SLAVE FLASH UNITS You can create a sophisticated lighting setup by positioning slave flash units individually or in groups to function as main, fill, accent, and other lights. Setting your light ratios at different light outputs to achieve specific looks gives you a professional level of creative control. To set up your slave flash units: 1. Turn on your slave flash and set it to E-TTL and IR slave modes, as well as the same group and channel as the FreeWave IR Commander. 2.
When positioning wireless slaves to light a subject, keep in mind the following: • Make sure the Commander’s transmitter is facing your flash’s IR sensor and that there are no obstructions between the two units (see Turning On the FreeWave IR Commander on page 12 for more). • The effective communication range between the FreeWave IR Commander and your slave flash units may vary, depending on the ambient light.
MOUNTING THE FREEWAVE IR COMMANDER To mount the FreeWave IR Commander on your camera, make sure all devices are turned off and follow these steps: To dismount the FreeWave IR Commander from your camera, make sure the Commander is turned off and follow these steps: 1. Looking down at the unit, rotate the locking wheel counterclockwise to loosen it. 2. Slide the mounting foot all the way into your camera’s hot shoe. 1. Looking down at the unit, rotate the locking wheel counterclockwise to release it. 2.
TURNING ON THE FREEWAVE IR COMMANDER To on turn the FreeWave IR Commander, slide the power switch to the On position. When turning off the Commander, it will remember all your current settings. Once mounted on your camera, you can rotate the Commander for lineof-sight positioning. The Commander’s transmitter should be facing the flash’s IR sensor, and there should be no obstructions between the two units. 12 Test Button/Ready Light The ready light indicates the status of the Commander.
Automatic Power-saving Function After 5 minutes of inactivity, the Commander will automatically enter power-saving mode to conserve battery life, and the LCD will display the standby mode indicator. Lock Mode To prevent inadvertent operation of the Commander, you can deactivate its controls by setting it to lock mode. This will disable all of the buttons except for the power switch and the test button.
SELECTING CHANNELS ABOUT FLASH GROUPS On the FreeWave IR Commander, four channels (1, 2, 3, and 4) are available. You can use this option to prevent your flashes from being triggered by another photographer On the FreeWave IR Commander, three flash groups (A, B, and C) are available, and you can combine multiple slave flashes within the same group. working with a similar system nearby. To select the channel, press the Set button repeatedly until the channel number blinks.
E-TTL MODE In E-TTL mode, the FreeWave IR Commander will automatically set the appropriate flash level via your camera’s evaluative through-the-lens (E-TTL) metering system data, calculating the correct power for all communicating E-TTL compatible flashes. In E-TTL (ALL) mode, there is one global exposure value (EV) setting for all three groups. Setting E-TTL Mode Press the Mode button repeatedly to cycle through the modes until the E-TTL (ALL) mode indicator appears onscreen.
E-TTL RATIO MODES The FWIRC-C Commander offers two E-TTL ratio modes, E-TTL (A:B) and E-TTL (A:B+C). E-TTL (A:B) Power output is set at a ratio for groups A and B. For example, if the ratio is set at 2:1, group A will fire at twice the power of group B. In this mode, there is one global EV setting for both groups. E-TTL A:B+C Ratio Mode E-TTL A:B Ratio Mode 16 E-TTL (A:B+C) Power output is set at a ratio for groups A and B, and group C is set in EV and is a ratio of group B.
Setting E-TTL Ratio Mode Press the Mode button repeatedly to cycle through the modes until the desired E-TTL ratio mode indicator appears onscreen. Ratio Adjustment In E-TTL (A:B) and E-TTL (A:B+C) modes, you can adjust the power output ratio between groups A and B. To adjust the ratio: Ratio 1. Make sure the Commander is set to the desired E-TTL ratio mode. 2. Press the Set button to make the ratio value blink, and use the Left and Right [ ] navigation buttons to adjust the ratio from 8:1 through 1:8.
Adjusting Global EV EV is set globally for both E-TTL (A:B) and E-TTL (A:B+C) modes. To adjust EV via the FreeWave IR Commander: Note: With select Canon cameras, you can adjust EV for group C independently 1. Make sure the Commander is set to the desired E-TTL ratio mode. via your Canon camera’s menu controls. For more information on this feature, refer to your camera’s user manual. On the Commander LCD, global EV is displayed in decimal form and can be adjusted from 3.0 to +3.0 in 1/3-stop increments.
MANUAL MODES For greater creative control over your images, you can set the flash power output level manually. The FWIRC-C Commander offers three manual modes: M (ALL), M (A+B), and M (A+B+C). In M (ALL) mode, flash output power is global for all three groups. M (A+B) mode is a two-group mode in which the flash power output is set independently for groups A and B. Similarly, M (A+B+C) mode is a three-group mode in which the flash power output is set independently for each group.
Adjusting Power Output Flash power output is represented as a fraction. The 1/1 setting is the full-power flash, and each successive setting halves the light output, all the way down to 1/128. You can also fine-tune the flash output in increments of one-third, indicated by a hyphen next to the fraction, first higher and then lower, e.g., 1/1, 1/2-, 1/2-, 1/2, 1/4-, 1/4-, 1/4, 1/8-… 20 To adjust power output: 1. Make sure the Commander is set to the desired manual mode. 2.
S1 OPTICAL SLAVE MODE FACTORY RESET The S1 optical slave mode is ideal for shooting with a remote flash, such as a monolight, that has an optical sensor. In this mode, power output is adjusted on the slave flash, rather than 2. Turn on your slave flash, and set it to optical slave mode. Make sure your slave flash’s IR sensor is facing the Commander. the Commander. Unlike the TTL and Manual modes, S1 optical slave mode does not employ groups and channels. 3. Set the power output on your slave flash.
ADVANCED FEATURES High-Speed Sync Mode You can use shutter speeds that are faster than your camera’s maximum flash sync speed with the FreeWave IR Commander by activating high-speed sync (HSS). HSS lets you use shutter speeds as fast as 1/8000 second. This is helpful when shooting with large apertures in brightly lit environments or when freezing motion. 22 In HSS mode, the FreeWave IR Commander will wirelessly transmit the information from your camera to your flash.
Repeating (Stroboscopic) Mode The repeating (stroboscopic) mode fires the flash multiple times in quick succession during a single exposure. In stroboscopic mode, you can adjust flash output, stroboscopic frequency, and flash count. Stroboscopic frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) and indicates the number of flashes per second. The flash count (RPT) represents the number of flashes per frame. Flash Output Frequency Flash Count To set the FreeWave IR Commander to stroboscopic mode, follow these steps: 1.
The Modeling Light The modeling light feature gives the appearance of a continuous light so you can approximate how the flash will illuminate your subject. Autofocus Assist Camera autofocus (AF) systems can have difficulty locking onto a subject in dim light or low-contrast scenes.
SPECIFICATIONS Flash Value Lock In E-TTL mode, you can lock the flash output level that is optimal for specific elements of your scene by using the flash value lock (FV Lock) feature. FV lock overrides any flash exposure settings. FV lock is set in your camera’s menu. For more information on this feature, refer to your camera’s user manual.
TROUBLESHOOTING The Commander is stuck in the camera hot shoe. • Make sure that the mounting-foot lock is released. The Commander is not flashing. • Make sure that fresh batteries are installed and in the proper orientation. • Make sure the Commander is The slave units are not firing. • Make sure the hot-shoe light’s locking switch is set to the lock position. • Make sure the slave units are turned on and at the correct settings. securely attached to the camera.
• Make sure that the Commander is within the transmission range and the wireless sensor on the slave is pointing toward the Commander. Remove any obstructions in the line of sight between the two. • Ambient light may affect IR transmission. • Make sure that the electrical contacts on the foot of the slave unit are not dirty. Clean them and try again. Note: After changing any settings in your wireless setup, press the test button to fire a test flash and confirm your new settings.
ONE-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY This VELLO 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.
