Angler Q-400 User manual

monolight

Q-400

INSTRUCTIONS

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the Angler Silver 18˝ softbox!

The Angler Q-400 Monolight can be used for everything from professional wedding and portrait

work to action and sports photography. This monolight is an easy-to-use and reliable tool built

for functionality, and it incorporates advanced features that are engineered for speed. You can

work fast and uninterrupted with the Q-400, capturing amazing moments as they happen.

Ideal for working professionals, the Q-400 is designed so you’ll never miss a shot while waiting

for your light to recycle. Recycling time is as fast as 0.4 seconds at full power, ﬂash duration is

as low as 1/5000 of a second, and continuous shooting speed can reach a blistering 10 frames

per second. This spectacular speed makes the Q-400 great not just for fashion and event

shooting, but also for high-speed photography. The Q-400 is fast enough to capture almost

any movement at its peak, whether it’s a cork bursting from a champagne bottle, or it’s a pitcher

hurling a fastball.

Because high-speed flash photography can often mean high temperatures, the Q-400

uses a fan-cooling system, heat sinks, and speed-dedicated internal components to prevent

overheating.

This monolight is easy to accessorize. With its built-in umbrella mount and Bowens S-type

bayonet, you’ll be able to attach light modiﬁers like beauty dishes, softboxes, and umbrellas to

customize and shape your light to achieve the perfect look. A modeling lamp with a stepless

power-output setting makes it easy to check positioning of your ﬂash before it’s time to ﬁre.

The Q-400 has an optical sensor, so you can use it as an optical slave. There’s also the optional

Angler RC-16 transmitter and receiver, which provide 150’ (50 m) of untethered freedom with

total wireless control over the Q-400.

1

Precautions

Please read and follow these instructions, and keep this manual in a safe place.

Keep this unit away from water and any ﬂammable gases or liquids.

Do not leave the device in a closed vehicle under the sun or in other areas subject to very

high temperatures.

Do not attempt to disassemble or repair the equipment. There are high-voltage

components inside the unit. Failure to observe this precaution could result in electric

shock or product malfunction. This will void the warranty, and Angler will not be

responsible for any damage.

Use only the correct, recommended voltage.

Make sure the unit is powered o when plugging it into a power source.

Always remove the power cord by holding the plug; do not pull the cord.

Disconnect the power cord from the power supply when not in use.

Always power o and disconnect the ﬂash from the power supply before changing the

modeling lamp or ﬂashtube.

Do not stare directly at the lights when they are powered on.

Do not ﬂash directly towards the naked eye (especially those of infants and small

children)—it may lead to visual impairment.

Always remove the transport cap before using the ﬂash.

Avoid any unnecessary impact to the ﬂash, as this can damage the ﬂashtube and/or

modeling lamp.

Use only parts provided by the manufacturer.

Handle the unit with care.

Clean the unit with a soft, dry cloth.

Keep this unit away from children.

Make sure the item is intact and that there are no missing parts.

All photos are for illustrative purposes only.

2

Table of Contents

Introduction ��1

Precautions ��2

Overview �� 4

Mounting the Q-400 ��7

Setting Flash Power Output ��10

Using the Modeling Lamp �� 11

Audio Conﬁrmation �� 11

Mounting Accessories ��12

The Accessory Mount �� 12

The Umbrella Mount ��13

Adjusting the Center of Gravity ��14

Triggering the Flash ��15

1/4″ Phono �� 15

Wireless Optical Slave ��15

Wireless Remote Control ��15

Replacing Parts ��16

Replacing the Flashtube ��16

Replacing the Fuse �� 17

Speciﬁcations ��18

One-Year Limited Warranty �� 19

3

Overview

Optical slave sensor

Umbrella mount

(front)

Accessory release latch

Bayonet accessory mount

Modeling lamp

Protective glass

dome

Flashtube

4

LCD display

Sound indicator light

Modeling lamp output control dial

Modeling lamp indicator light

Modeling lamp button

Sound button

Wireless remote port

1/4

″ phono

socket

Adjustment/carry

handle

Slave indicator

light

Umbrella mount

(rear)

Flash output

control dial

Flash ready

indicator light

Flash test

button

Power Switch

Slave mode

button

Fuse bay

5

AC power socket

Ratchet handle

Mounting bracket

Locking knob

Hex screw

Mounting bracket positioning rails

Also Included:

Mounting bracket

positioning rails

Protective glass dome Transport cover 7″ grid reﬂector AC power cord PC sync to 1/4″phono cord Spare fuse User manual

6

Getting Started

Mounting the Q-400

1.

Make sure the mounting bracket’s ratchet

handle is fully tightened.

2.

Loosen the locking knob on the mounting

socket and mount the Q-400 onto your

lightstand.

3. Tighten the locking knob until secure.

You can adjust the tilt of the monolight by

loosening the ratchet handle. Make sure to keep

one hand on the monolight to hold it steady to

avoid damaging the light.

1

7

Setting Up

After mounting the Q-400 on your lightstand,

you will need to install the modeling lamp and the

reﬂector.

Important! Do not touch the modeling lamp or

ﬂashtube with your bare hands. Oil residue from

your ﬁngers can cause the surface of the ﬂashtube

to heat unevenly and explode. Always wear cotton

gloves or use a clean cloth when handling the

modeling lamp or ﬂashtube.

To install the modeling lamp, follow these steps:

1. Make sure that the monolight is turned o and

unplugged.

2.

Remove the transport cover by pulling the

accessory release latch and rotating the

transport cover counterclockwise.

3. Remove the protective glass dome by carefully

pulling it from the clips holding it in place.

4.

Screw the modeling lamp into the threaded

socket.

2

3

4

5.

Reinstall the protective glass dome by snapping

it in place over the two bulbs.

8

To install the reﬂector, follow these steps:

1.

Align the three pegs on the reflector with

the corresponding notches in the monolight’s

bayonet accessory mount.

Note: Make sure the reflector’s umbrella hole

is aligned with the monolight’s umbrella mount,

located next to the accessory release latch.

2.

Insert the reﬂector into the accessory mount

and rotate the reﬂector clockwise until it locks

into place.

The Q-400 runs on the standard 110 V AC, 60 Hz

voltage and comes with a grounded AC power cord.

To plug in the Q-400, follow these steps:

1.

Make sure the power switch is set to the O

position.

2.

Plug the AC power cord into the monolight’s

AC power socket and then into an AC power

outlet.

1

2

9

Setting Flash Power Output

The Q-400’s ﬂash power output covers a 6-stop

range. It is adjusted via the flash power output

control from 6.0 (full power) all the way down to

1.0, in 0.1-stop increments. The selected ﬂash power

is displayed on the LCD.

Note: Turning the ﬂash power output lower than

1.0 until “OF” is displayed on the LCD will disable

ﬂash ﬁring. This feature is for use with the dedicated

remote. For more information, see the Wireless

Remote Control section in Triggering the Flash on

page 15.

To ﬁre a test ﬂash, press the ﬂash test button. When

the ﬂash has recycled and is ready for another ﬂash,

the ﬂash ready indicator light will glow red.

The Q-400’s autodump feature automatically

empties the capacitor to the required power setting

when you lower the ﬂash output.

There is a built-in memory function that saves the

settings on the control panel after 3 seconds. The

next time you turn on the Q-400, your previous

settings will appear on the control panel.

Note: After 30 continuous ﬂashes at full power, the

ﬂash should be cooled down for about 3 minutes.

Overheating may occur if it is used continuously

without cooling down.

10

Using the Modeling Lamp

The modeling lamp is a continuous light that you can use for ﬂash positioning to give you an idea

of how the ﬂash will illuminate your subject.

To turn on the modeling lamp, press the modeling lamp button. When the modeling lamp is on,

the modeling lamp indicator light will glow blue. Use the modeling lamp output control dial to

steplessly adjust power output.

If the modeling lamp is on when you ﬁre the ﬂash, the modeling lamp will dim and then return

to its set power output level after the ﬂash has fully recycled.

Note: The modeling lamp will automatically turn o after 2 hours to avoid overheating.

Audio Conﬁrmation

The Q-400 can emit a beep to let you know when the ﬂash has fully recycled and is ready for

another ﬂash. This feature is useful when you can’t see the ﬂash ready indicator light, which

indicates the status of the ﬂash. The audio conﬁrmation will also cause the monolight to emit a

beep when you press any of the buttons or rotate the ﬂash output control dial.

To turn on audio conﬁrmation, press the sound button. The sound indicator light will glow blue

when audio conﬁrmation is turned on.

11

Mounting Accessories

The Accessory Mount

The Q-400 has a Bowens S-type bayonet accessory

mount for attaching light-shaping tools like

softboxes, beauty dishes, and snoots, as well as the

included 7″ reﬂector with an umbrella hole.

Important! To avoid potential damage, do not leave

the modeling lamp turned on for an extended period

of time when using a heat-sensitive accessory.

To mount an accessory, follow these steps:

1.

Align your accessory’s mounting pegs with

the corresponding notches on the monolight’s

accessory mount.

2.

Insert your accessory into the accessory mount

and rotate your accessory clockwise until it locks

into place.

To remove the accessory, pull the accessory release

latch and rotate the accessory counterclockwise.

12

The Umbrella Mount

The Q-400 has an integrated umbrella mount that

employs an internal tension spring capable of holding

up to a 7″ parabolic umbrella.

To mount an umbrella in the Q-400, insert your

umbrella shaft into the umbrella mount at the front

of the monolight. Depending on the desired position

of your umbrella and the length of its shaft, the shaft

may emerge from the umbrella mount at the rear

of the monolight.

13

Adjusting the Center of Gravity

The Q-400 has an adjustable mounting bracket

held in place by a single hex screw. This makes it

easy to adjust the monolight’s center of gravity if a

large or heavy accessory is causing it to tilt forward

or backward.

To adjust the monolight’s center of gravity, follow

these steps:

1.

Turn o and unplug the Q-400 and remove any

mounted accessories.

2.

Use a 3 mm hex wrench to loosen the hex screw

in the mounting bracket.

3.

Slide the mounting bracket forward or backward

along its positioning rails to the desired position.

4.

Tighten the hex screw until secure. The

Q-400’s center of gravity is now adjusted for

a large accessory.

2

3

4

14

Triggering the Flash

There are three ways to trigger the ﬂash: 1/4″ phono, optical slave, or wireless remote (sold

separately). When you trigger the ﬂash, the ﬂash ready indicator light will turn o and then turn

on when the ﬂash has recycled and is ready for another ﬂash. If audio conﬁrmation is activated,

the monolight will emit a beep when the ﬂash has fully recycled.

1/4″ Phono

To trigger via a 1/4″ phono cord, use the included PC sync to 1/4″ phono cord to connect your

camera’s PC sync terminal to the Q-400’s 1/4″ phono socket. A remote slave receiver can

also be plugged into this socket.

Wireless Optical Slave

The Q-400 is equipped with a wireless optical slave feature, allowing you to ﬁre the monolight

remotely. There are two slave modes on the Q-400: Instant-Fire and Skip Preﬂash.

Instant-Fire slave mode ﬁres the monolight as soon as it sees a ﬂash. Skip Preﬂash mode ignores

the preﬂash from the master and ﬁres only with the main ﬂash.

To set the slave mode, press the slave button repeatedly until the slave indicator light turns the

proper color. In Instant-Fire mode the slave indicator light will glow blue, and in Skip Preﬂash

mode the indicator will glow red.

Note: When positioning wireless slaves to light a subject, make sure to maintain a clear line

of sight between the master and the optical slave sensor. Keep in mind that the eective

communication range between master and slave ﬂash units is approximately 33′ (10 m).

Wireless Remote Control

A dedicated remote control, the Angler RC-16 transmitter and receiver (sold separately), can

control triggering, adjust power levels, and turn the modeling light and audio conﬁrmation

features on and o. To use the remote, plug the dedicated receiver into the monolight’s USB

wireless remote port.

15

Replacing Parts

Replacing the Flashtube

Important! Before replacing the flashtube, it is

recommended to manually empty the capacitor (see

below), even though the Q-400 has an autodump

feature.

To replace the ﬂashtube, follow these steps:

Note: When handling the ﬂashtube, use a clean

cloth or cotton gloves. Never touch the ﬂashtube with your bare hands. Oil residue from your ﬁngers can cause the surface of the lamp to heat unevenly and explode.

1.

Manually empty the capacitor by pressing the

test button to ﬁre the ﬂash. Immediately turn

o the monolight by pressing the power switch

to the O position.

2.

Unplug the AC power cable from the

monolight’s AC power socket.

3.

Remove the reﬂector, glass dome, and modeling

lamp.

4

5

4.

Carefully loosen the metal wire wrapped around

the ﬂashtube. Needle-nose pliers may be helpful

for this.

5.

Hold both sides of the base of the ﬂashtube

and ﬁrmly pull the ﬂashtube straight out of the

socket.

16

6.

Insert a fresh ﬂashtube into the ﬂashtube socket.

7.

Wrap the metal wire around the clip that holds

the ﬂashtube in place. The wire does not need

to be in the exact position as before, but it does

need to connect the two ends of the clip.

8.

Reinstall the modeling lamp, glass dome, and

reﬂector.

Replacing the Fuse

The Q-400’s user-replaceable fuse protects the

ﬂash unit’s circuitry. The fuse and included spare

are located in a bay mounted above the AC plug.

To replace the fuse, follow these steps:

1.

Turn off the Q-400 by pressing the power

switch to the O position.

Unplug the AC power cable from the

2.

monolight’s AC power socket.

3.

Use a flat-head screwdriver or needle-nose

pliers to remove the fuse bay.

4. Remove the old fuse (a) and replace it with the

a

spare (b).

5. Reinsert the fuse bay into the monolight.

17

b

3

4

Specifications

Maximum power 400 Ws

Recycle time 0.4 sec. at full power

Flash duration 1/5000 to 1/800 sec.

Power output control

Guide number (ISO 100)

Color temperature 5600 K ±100 K

Modeling lamp maximum output

Operating voltage 110 V AC, 60 Hz

Triggering method

Circuit protection 8A fuse

Accessory mount Bowens S-type

Umbrella mount 0.31 (8 mm)

Sync terminal

Dimensions (without reflector)

Weight (with flashtube, modeling lamp, and reflector)

6-stop range, 6.0 to 1.0 in 0.1-

stop increments

′ (65 m)

213

150 W (E27 base, user

replaceable)

Test button, sync cord, optical

slave, wireless remote port

″ phono

1/4

″ × 5.5″ × 5.5″

16.1 (41 × 14 × 14 cm)

7.15 lb. (3.24 kg)

18

One-Year Limited Warranty

ANGLER

A Gradus Group

Brand

TM

This Angler 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. The warranty provider’s responsibility with respect to this limited warranty shall be limited solely to repair or replacement, at the provider’s discretion, of any product that fails during normal use of this product in its intended manner and in its intended environment. Inoperability of the product or part(s) shall be determined by the warranty provider. If the product has been discontinued, the warranty provider reserves the right to replace it with a model of equivalent quality and function. This warranty does not cover damage or defect caused by misuse, neglect, accident, alteration, abuse, improper installation or maintenance. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, THE WARRANTY PROVIDER MAKES NEITHER ANY EXPRESS WARRANTIES NOR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. This warranty provides you with speciﬁc legal rights, and you may also have additional rights that vary from state to state. To obtain warranty coverage, contact the Angler Customer Service Department to obtain a return merchandise authorization (“RMA”) number, and return the defective product to Angler along with the RMA number and proof of purchase. Shipment of the defective product is at the purchaser’s own risk and expense.

For more information or to arrange service, visit www.anglerlights.com or call Customer Service at

212-594-2353.

Product warranty provided by the Gradus Group. www.gradusgroup.com

Angler is a registered trademark of the Gradus Group.

GG1