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Disabling the Internal Flash It is often desirable to disable the internal flash and use only the light from the external flash for the exposure. Disabling the internal flash reduces the chance of redeye. Your camera’s manual explains how one can disable the internal flash in the menu system while in a Manual shooting mode. Although fairly straightforward for the 990, the nomenclature in the 995’s menu can be confusing. “Internal Flash Off”>”On” disables the internal flash on the 995. Using a Slaved Flash In a Cold Shoe A flash that has a slave sensor can be used in a cold shoe and is triggered by the light from the camera’s flash. A slaved flash can also be used offcamera, and combined with light modifiers (diffusers, reflectors, etc.), several slaves can be combined for some very interesting and flattering lighting. Get Creative! Digital cameras, because of the instant feedback provided when compared to film cameras, invite the photographer to experiment. Because one can immediately see the results and evaluate an exposure, adjustments and tweaks can be made at the time of the shoot. Another advantage that the both the 990 and 995 have, is very fast flash synchronization speeds (1/1000sec and 1/2000sec respectively). I encourage Flash Jack users to take advantage of their Coolpix camera’s unique capabilities and practice using advanced techniques involving light modifiers, bounce flash, slow sync, and high-speed sync. Warranty-Your Flash Jack may be returned within 30 days of receipt for a refund or replacement if material defects are apparent. Nikon, Coolpix, and Xtend-A-View are registered trademarks of their respective companies and not affiliated with Flash Jack. Flash Jack.com, 140 Lincoln St S, Salem, OR, 97302 E-mail:
[email protected] http://www.Flash-Jack.com
Using Your Flash Jack Thank you for choosing the Flash Jack for use with the Nikon Coolpix 990/995 digital cameras. We hope you will be pleased with your purchase. Features We think you will find that the Flash Jack’s compact design compliments your Coolpix camera well. You may find that it’s useful to leave the bracket on-camera most of the time, however, we recommend that the cable of the AS-E900 be disconnected from the camera when not in use. A Nikon AS-E900 Multisync Adapter (cable /hot shoe), or a “cold shoe” is required to mount a flash to your Flash Jack (see External Flash Configurations for details). Flash Jack Functionality: • Flash located above the lens to reduce redeye and shadows. • Ability to change batteries with the bracket mounted even while the camera and bracket are mounted on a tripod. • Tripod mount relocated to a position under the axis of the lens to make pan stitching easier by reducing or eliminating parallax error. • The Swivel Lock switch is accessible. • Flash-Jack bracket is well balanced and strong but lightweight in construction.
The bracket has a number of 3/8” threaded holes, and notches in anticipation of possible future accessories (these may, or may not be produced by us). Custom accessories made by hobbyists can use these as attachment points to suit their particular applications.
tightening the screw. You may find that periodically the screw may loosen, causing the camera to twist in the bracket. To prevent this, apply a good amount of pressure tightening the screw, and check it periodically to maintain a good fit.
Additionally, your bracket has a mounting hole to enable attachment of the popular Xtend-A-View LCD viewer. This accessory provides clear LCD viewing even in bright sunlight. The Xtend-A-View and mounting stud are available from the good folks at Williams & Associates on their web site at www.photosolve.com
Mounting an AS-E900 or Cold Shoe to the Bracket Although most users will probably opt for having a hot connection using Nikon’s ASE900 in order to have fully automatic flash operation, a cold shoe can also be used, with a slaved flash mounted in the shoe. The ASE900 is attached to the top section of the bracket using the screw provided. Make sure the flash slot is pointing to the back of the camera. Screw the cable end into the socket located on the underside of the camera’s lens section. Once this is done, the flash can be attached to the shoe.
Caution • Converter lenses, when attached, may contact the bracket in the swivel down or swivel up position. Use care. • Oversized tripod platforms may need to be tilted forward and the lens swiveled up when using the AS-E900 in order for the cable to clear the tripod platform. Attaching the Flash Jack to the Camera The Flash Jack attaches to the camera using the brackets mounting screw and the camera’s tripod socket. Hold the camera and bracket as shown below. It’s important to first get the screw started, then push the bracket to the front of the camera, before tightening the screw. Make sure the bracket is snugged up and aligned correctly before firmly
External Flash Configurations
Using the AS-E900 Nikon Dedicated Flash With AS-E900 Using the Nikon AS-E900 to obtain a hot connection between camera and flash can result in full TTL-auto control of the flash exposure when a Nikon dedicated flash is used (or third-party flash having Nikon dedication). Of course non-TTL auto and manual modes are also usually available in a hot configuration. Non-Nikon Dedicated Flash with the AS-E900 Many third party flashes can still be employed, however, their use will be variously limited to non-TTL auto (the flash unit controls the flash duration), or manual (the flash output is full duration, and the camera’s aperture setting controls the exposure). CAUTION: Older, third party flash units may have trigger voltages that exceed safe levels for your camera, and may damage the camera’s circuitry. If you’re in doubt about voltage output of a flash unit, contact the flash manufacturer or Nikon Tech.
