User manual METZ MECABLITZ 20 B 5

[. . . ] Power-saving thyristor light output control, particularly in the close-up range, for shorter recycle times and a higher number of flashes from just one 33 Never take flash shots of car, bus or train drivers, or of motorcycle and bicycle riders, whilst they are travelling. Flash fired directly in front of the eyes of a person or animal can damage the retina and lead to severe visual disorders - even blindness! Only use the approved power sources listed in the Operating Instructions! Do not expose batteries to excessive heat, sunshine, fire and the like! [. . . ] We accept no liability for malfunctions and damage to the battery charger or the battery pack which result from the use of accessories made by other manufacturers !We therefore recommend that you store the battery pack at a temperature of 2 °C to 8 ° C (e. Press the two locking keys of the battery housing, and pull out of the flashgun (fig. To return the battery housing press the two locking keys together Connecting the charger to the mains The charger is supplied complete with interchangeable adapters for different mains sockets (Fig. To change the adapter, disconnect the charger from the mains socket, release the currently installed adapter by pressing the key and at the same time pull off the adapter y (Fig. With no adapter fitted, the battery charger can be connected to a mains socket with the aid of a mains cable (not included) which is inserted into the integrated mains connection socket (Fig. Charging the batteries The NiMH battery pack 45-56 can be charged either in the flashgun or separately.  Warning: The flashgun must NOT be switched on while the battery is being charged within the flashgun!The battery pack is exhausted if the recharging time after a full-power flash (e. When the battery pack is fully charged, the charging operation is terminated automatically and the battery charger switches to trickle-charge mode. You can leave the battery pack connected to the charger in order to ensure continuous readiness. Furthermore, the effective aperture can also vary, depending upon the adjusted focal length. The flashgun can be adapted to the actual picture shooting situation by setting the corresponding aperture on the camera. If the displayed value does not coincide with the actual distance, then the aperture and/or partial light output level have to be changed accordingly. the decisive points for partial light output are: · The distance to the subject · Turn the adjusting knob for film speed (fig. The aperture to be adjusted is indicated on the scale above the given flashto-subject distance. At a flash-to-subject distance of 5 m (as in our example), an aperture of f/8 has to be set on the camera.  The adjusted aperture must be corrected when the wide-angle diffuser is used. The diffused light bounced back from the reflective surfaces results in a soft illumination of the subject. The reflecting surface must be white or a neutral colour, and it must not be structured (e. Use of the secondary reflector is advantageous to avoid disturbing dense shadows with bounced flash, for instance under the eyes and nose of portraits. It is advisable to check prior to the actual exposure whether the light is sufficient for the selected aperture. [. . . ] Use the camera, or a hand-held exposure meter, to establish the required aperture and shutter speed for a normal exposure. Ensure that the shutter speed either equals, or is slower than, the fastest flash synch speed (varies with the given camera model). The two established values for aperture and shutter speed can be set on the camera because the camera's shutter speed is slower than the camera's flash synch speed. To maintain a balanced range of highlights, for instance in order to retain the character of the shadows, it is advisable to select the automatic aperture on the flashgun one setting lower than the aperture adjusted on the camera. [. . . ]