Baja
dynamic lighting
Dynalite Baja Portable Electronic Flash
USER MANUAL
Introduction ......................................................................... 3
Safety Guidelines ................................................................ 4
Dynalite Legacy ................................................................... 5
Using Dynalite Baja Portable Electronic Flash ................. 6
Getting Started .................................................................... 8
Flash Modes ......................................................................... 8
Adding/Removing Modiers ............................................ 10
In the Box ........................................................................... 10
Accessories ........................................................................ 10
Specs ................................................................................. 11
BRT ~ The Baja B-4’s Remote Control ............................. 12
Setting up the BRR-616 receiver
..................................... 13
Setting up the BRT-616 transmitter ................................ 13
High Speed Sync –Focal Plane Shutters & Sync ............ 14
What is High Speed Sync? ................................................ 14
Using Dynalite Baja B-4 HSS ............................................ 15
3
Introducon
Hi. I’m Kevin Ames and I don’t work for Dynalite. I am a working commercial photographer
with a studio in Atlanta, Georgia. I am a Dynalite user and have been for many years.
This is the part of the “normal” instruction booklet where you are congratulated for choosing
(insert what you bought here,) the nest blah-blah-blah and so on. I am not going there. Ever.
Rather than take that path, let me welcome you instead. If you are a rst time Dynalite
customer, thank you. You have joined a community of hard working pros and advanced
amateurs that understand how important dependable lighting gear is to their careers and
hobbies—yes to their passion--photography. A lot of us have decades of experience shooting
photographs lit with Dynalite.
Thanks to you too, if you are one of the established Dynalite users and have added this gear
to expand your lighting capabilities.
User’s guides have all of the personality of a box of bricks. I’d like to break out of that with
this one. I want it to be readable, understandable, conversational and even fun. All of the
information is here. In plain English. If I spoke Spanish it would be in plain Spanish as well. I
don’t. It isn’t. Continuing to step out of the technospeak I’ll explain the terms of each part and
what those terms mean. Personally I really hate having to search the web for what a ux-
capacitor is when the directions tell me to install it into socket B. What is socket B anyway?
I want this guide to be clear and complete. Turn the page and get started using your new
Dynalite B-4...
4
There are only a few important things to know about handling any electronic ash systems when it comes to doing it
safely. This section is hyper-important for you to be safe and stay well while using your Dynalite Baja B-4. Most of this is
common sense. Which we all know isn’t common at all. So, please read them anyway.
1. Water and electricity don’t mix well. When power packs,
heads, and their cables are operating they have a lot of high
voltage electricity in them. Using a Dynalite Baja B-4 that’s wet
or standing in water can cause very serious injuries like death.
Really.
2. The Baja ashtube gets outrageously hot while it is being
used. Avoid betting burned. Don’t touch the pyrex cover over
the ashtube. After shooting ten full power ashes in fast
succession, let the ashtube cool down for a couple of minutes.
Don’t look directly at the ashtube close up when you re it to
avoid possible damage to your eyes.
3. Never re the Baja B-4 with the protective cover over the
ashtube.
4. Don’t re the Baja B-4 near ammable liquids like gasoline or
gases like propane or natural gas.
5. Baja B-4 portable electronic ash units are lousy basketballs. It is
a really bad idea to use one if it has been dropped. Send it back
to Dynalite to be checked instead.
6. Only use the battery charger that comes with your Baja B-4
to recharge the battery. Once the battery is fully charged
disconnect the charging cord from the Dynalite Baja B-4. It’s
never a good idea to leave batteries charging indenitely.
Overcharging the Baja B-4’s battery can damage the cells;
possibly leading to an explosion. Don’t overcharge the battery.
7. Excessive heat can cause the battery to explode. Don’t leave
your Baja B-4 in direct sun for long periods of time. Let the unit
cool before using it.
8. Dynalite Baja B-4 portable electronic ash units have a lot of
electrical energy inside the case even when they are turned o.
Leave opening them to a qualied Dynalite technician or send
them back to Dynalite. There are no user xable parts inside, just
a lot of current waiting to shock those (like me and I’m guessing,
you) who don’t know what they are doing. Seriously.
Safety
5
The Dynalite Legacy
Dynalite began in 1971 when Paul Schwartz, an electronic engineer, teamed with photographer Ed Lambert and
silent investor John Poremba to create a rugged, dependable and portable electronic ash power pack and heads.
Paul designed the original electronics including the non-arching connectors that allow heads to be added or
removed from a powered up pack safely. That circuit was so robust that, while it has been updated with modern
technology, it remains the basis for every pack Dynalite makes today. While the insides of Dynalite packs and heads
have evolved, the control layout has been mostly the same for over three decades. A photographer buying a new
pack today knows it will work the same way one that has been in the studio for twenty years or more.
Dynalite was instantly popular with location photographers. Whether the subject was a celebrity or politician
destined to grace a magazine cover or an ocean side beach resort showcasing its architectural interior elegance,
Dynalite was likely on the scene. Photographers across the country adopted the super light packs that easily stood
up to the rigors of the road. Whether piled in the back of a van or checked as luggage on airlines, Dynalite gear
stood up to the abuse travel wreaks on equipment that can be delicate.
Realizing that photographers want powerful, lightweight electronic ash systems Dynalite is proud to continue its
legacy of innovation with the new Baja B-4.
dynamic lighting
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