Insignia NS-DCF200C, NS-DCF200N, NS-DCF200S User Manual

USER GUIDE

On-Camera Flash

for Canon, Nikon, or Sony

NS-DCF200C/NS-DCF200N/NS-DCF200S

Note: Camera flashes are designed for specific camera makes. For example, you cannot use the Canon flash (NS-DCF200C) with a Nikon or Sony camera.

Before using your new product, please read these instructions to prevent any damage.

Insignia On-Camera Flash

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Package contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Flash body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 LCD panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Installing batteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Low battery warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Attaching your flash to a camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Attaching your flash to the stand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Turning your flash on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Power management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Selecting a flash mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Using the TTL auto-flash mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Taking a picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Using flash exposure compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Using high-speed sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Using second-curtain sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Using the Manual flash mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Flash output range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Using the Optical S1 secondary flash setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Using the Optical S2 secondary flash setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Using high-speed sync settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Using the Stroboscopic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Calculating the shutter speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Using other functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Using the auto-focus assist beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Using bounce flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Creating a catchlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Setting flash coverage in manual zoom mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Using the wide panel to extend the flash coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Customizing function settings (C.Fn). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Understanding protection functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Over-temperature protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Protection error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Maintaining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Legal notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 One-year limited warranty - Insignia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of a high-quality Insignia product. Your NS-DCF200C (for Canon cameras), NS-DCF200N (for Nikon cameras), or NS-DCF200S (for Sony cameras) represents the state of the art in advanced on-camera flash technology and is manufactured for reliable and trouble-free performance.

Important Safety Instructions

To prevent damage to your flash or injury to you or to others, read the following safety precautions in their entirety before using your flash.

1 Read and understand all instructions before using.

2 Keep these instructions.

3Always keep this product dry. Do not use in rain or in damp conditions.

4Do not leave or store your flash in places where the ambient temperatures are over 122°F (50°C), for example, in an automobile. Otherwise the electronic parts may be damaged.

5This product contains high-voltage electronic parts. Touching the high-voltage circuit inside it may result in electric shock. Do not disassemble. Should repairs become necessary, this product must be sent to an authorized maintenance center.

6Stop using this product if it breaks open due to a drop or strong impact. Otherwise, electric shock may occur if you touch the electronic parts inside it.

7Do not fire your flash directly into the eyes (especially those of babies) within short distances. Otherwise, visual impairment may occur. When taking pictures of babies, keep your flash at least 3.3 ft. (1 m) away from them. Using bounce flash to reduce light intensity is also recommended.

8Do not use your flash in the presence of flammable gases, chemicals, and other similar materials. In certain circumstances, these materials may be sensitive to the strong light emitting from this flash unit and fire or electromagnetic interference may result.

9Overheating occurs if you use your flash continuously without letting it cool down. We advise that you let your flash cool for about 10 minutes after 30 continuous full-power flashes.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

Features

•Designed for:

•Canon cameras with hotshoe (NS-DCF200C)

•OR

•Nikon DSLR cameras with hotshoe (NS-DCF200N)

•OR

•Sony cameras with Multi Interface Shoe mount (NS-DCF200S)

•Increased brightness and versatility compared to built-in flash

•Compact design for easy transportation

•High-output design for maximum performance

•Full feature set for maximum flexibility

•TTL compatibility for seamless integration with camera focus and metering system

•Backlit LCD screen for visibility

Package contents

•Insignia On-Camera Flash

•Carrying Case

•Stand

•User Guide

4

Flash body

Catchlight

panel

Wide panel

Battery compartment

Flash head

Optical control sensor

Focus assist beam

Mounting foot

LCD panel

Battery compartment

Lock ring

5

Control panel

	ZOOM select	High-speed
	button
		SYNC button

MODE select button

test button/ flash ready indicator

C.Fn custom function button (press for 2 seconds)

MODE

ZOOM

SYNC

SLAVE

SET

SLAVE triggering button

Power button

Select dial

SET button

LCD panel

TTL autoflash

	TTL autoflash	Zoom
		display
	mode
		Focus
		length

High-speed sync

Flash exposure compensation amount

6

Manual flash

Manual flash mode

Manualflash output

Stroboscopic flash

Stroboscopic

mode Number of flashes

Flash frequency

7

Installing batteries

Note: Using premium batteries, such as non-rechargable lithium or high-output rechargable batteries, will noticably reduce flash recycle time and improve battery life.

1While pressing in on the battery compartment cover, slide the cover down, then lift the cover to open the compartment.

2Insert two AA batteries (not included) into the battery compartment.

Make sure that the + and

– symbols on the batteries match the symbols in the battery compartment.

3Replace the battery compartment cover.

Battery compartment cover

8

Cautions:

•Batteries should not be exposed to excessive heat, such as sunshine, heat registers, or fire.

•Battery chemicals can cause a rash. If the batteries leak, clean the battery compartment with a cloth. If chemicals touch your skin, wash immediately.

•Make sure that batteries are disposed of correctly. Do not burn or incinerate.

Notes:

•Do not mix batteries of different types.

•Do not mix old and new batteries.

•Remove batteries when the charge is depleted.

•If your flash is not going to be used for an extended period of time, remove the batteries.

Low battery warning

If the battery power is low, the icon blinks on the LCD. You need to replace the batteries.

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Attaching your flash to a camera

1If the camera has a plastic protective cover on the hotshoe, remove it.

2Rotate the lock ring on your flash’s mounting foot counter-clockwise as far as it will go to make sure that the lock ring is completely loosened.

3 Slip your flash's mounting foot into the camera's hotshoe. Make sure that the foot is all the way into the hotshoe.

4 Rotate the lock ring on the flash’s mounting foot clockwise until it locks in place.

5 To remove your flash, rotate the lock ring counter-clockwise to loosen your flash, then slide your flash out of the hotshoe.

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Attaching your flash to the stand

1Rotate the lock ring on your flash’s mounting foot counter-clockwise as far as it will go to make sure that the lock ring is completely loosened.

2 Slide your flash’s mounting foot into the slot on the stand.

3Rotate the lock ring on your flash’s mounting foot clockwise until it locks in place.

4Set the stand on a flat, stable surface. OR

Screw the bottom of the stand into a standard camera tripod.

Turning your flash on and off

Cautions:

•Turn off your flash if it will not be used for an extended period of time.

•We recommend that you do not disable the Auto Power Off function when your flash is used off camera.

1 Make sure that the batteries are installed. See Installing batteries on page 8.

2Press the (power) button for one second to turn on your flash.

If you set up your flash as the master flash, your flash turns off after about 90 seconds. To turn on (wake) your flash, press the camera shutter halfway or press any button.

If you set up your flash as a slave flash, your flash turns off after about 60 minutes. To turn on (wake) your flash, press any button.

3 Press the button again to turn off your flash.

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