Your SYMBIOSIS LIGHT will flash when the camera in your housing take a picture and make a flash glimpse.
The flash from the housing is transported via a fiber cable up to the Symbiosis who then see the light and then fires.
Preflash
All new cameras has a pre-flash system, that the camera fires in order to measure the needed amount of light (based on the length to the subject). The Symbiosis needs to understand your cameras cycle so it does not fire its own light when the first pre-flash is being fired.
So the first thing you need to do when you unpack your new Symbiosis, is to sync it with your camera.
It is easy to do:
Symbiosis SS-2
* Turn off the flash.
* Press and hold the TEST button.
* Turn on the flash again.
* An animated picture will show in the LED display.
* Now you can let go of the buttons again. (the animation will last for some time)
– now, make sure the cables are attached to both the housing and the Symbiosis.
(on the Symbiosis SS-2, make sure the flash cable is not sitting in the mount that is meant for the control cable… common mistake)
* Now you shoot a test picture with your camera. (make sure to see if the camera flash actually fires)
* If the Symbiosis can see the flash light it will turn from animation into an “OK”.
* Your Symbiosis has now been synchronised and you can take pictures with it.
Symbiosis SS-3
* Turn off the flash.
* Press and hold the FUNCTION button until the unit starts blinking both RED/GREEN.
* Now you can let go of the buttons again. (the blinking will last for some time)
– now, make sure the cables are attached to both the housing and the Symbiosis.
* Now you shoot a test picture with your camera. (make sure to see if the camera flash actually fires)
* If the Symbiosis can see the flash light it will turn from blinking into an even colour.
* Your Symbiosis has now been synchronised and you can take pictures with it.
Note:
* The sync will be stored in the unit, so you do not have to make this process again.
However, sometimes it is needed to do anyway, if you have synced the unit by mistake or had the battery out for longer time.
* Make sure the flash glimpse from your camera is lead through a straight and unbroken fiber optic cable.
So, check if the lights flows through the cable without being dimmed by a damaged cable.
* Some housings does not have the same amount of light through the holes, due to the position of the camera in the housing (particularly the cheaper acrylic housings)
* Some housings does not have an L-Type hole for a fiber cable – then you might have to use a velcro based fiber cable.
(contact FOTOGRAFIT.eu)
* Some cameras does not have internal flash. In this case you might be able to use a flash trigger, that is mounted in the flash-shoe of your camera.
If you camera does not have either, then you can not use the flash part of a Symbiosis.
