MK Controls Lightning Bug Manual de usuario
Rev: June 27, 2013 Page 2 of 21
Lightning Bug
Lightning BugLightning Bug
Lightning Bug™
Instruction Manual
Instruction ManualInstruction Manual
Instruction Manual
Please remember that your safety is much more important than getting the shot
MK Controls is not liable for any injuries or damage that may occur while using
our products Being safe should always be your primary concern Lightning can
be lethal Be sure to seek shelter if a storm is too close!
Please note: MK Controls Inc. is not liable for any damage or injury associated
with the use of the Lightning Bug™.
MK Controls, Inc.
1160 Stone Drive
Harrison, OH 45030
support@ kcontrols.co
513-845-4633
Rev: June 27, 2013 Page 3 of 21
Table of Contents
Lightning BugTM Features .................................................................................... 6
Specifications ...................................................................................................... 7
Battery Installation/Re oval .............................................................................. 8
Ca era Connection............................................................................................. 9
Operation ......................................................................................................... 10
Additional Features .......................................................................................... 12
Photography Tips .............................................................................................. 14
Synchronizing An External Flash ........................................................................ 15
Troubleshooting ............................................................................................... 16
Lightning Safety ................................................................................................ 18
Warranty .......................................................................................................... 19
Co pany Infor ation ....................................................................................... 21
Please note: MK Controls Inc. is not liable for any damage or injury associated
with the use of the Lightning Bug™. Lightning Bug™ is a trademar of MK
Controls, Inc.
Rev: June 27, 2013 Page 4 of 21
Introduction
The Lightning Bug™ – Engineered for your i agination.
The Lightning Bug™ is based upon the science of lightning There are two
components of lightning; the bright white flash everyone wants to capture and
the unseen infrared light that always precedes it The Lightning Bug™ uses a high-
speed photodiode sensor optimized to the infrared burst that occurs just before a
lightning strike This infrared light comes from the vaporization of air and particles
in the air The Lightning Bug™ acts as a lookout for your camera, watching for a
change in infrared light When a significant change of infra-red light over a very
short period of time is detected, it trips the camera shutter to capture the
lightning bolt
The Lightning Bug™ can also be used to take photos of fireworks, cannon shots,
virtually anything that produces a fast-acting rise of light formed by a high-
temperature event
The Lightning BugTM exclusive sensitivity adjustment circuitry allows the
photographer to customize the unit’s operation to any shooting situation This
gives the photographer full control over when to take the picture If you only
wanted to capture the brightest and closest lightning bolts you would decrease
the sensitivity If you wanted to capture lightning over the city or mountains from
a long distance, just increase the sensitivity Only the Lightning Bug™ gives you
this level of control
The Lightning BugTM has, as standard, premium features not found in simpler
lightning detectors The user can limit the number of possible exposures per
second to between 1 and 10 This feature allows you to capture repeated
lightning strikes successfully, up to the maximum frame rate of your camera
When trying to capture weather events, your photography gear can get wet,
we’ve designed the Lightning Bug™ to withstand exposure to rain The design
incorporates weather resistant soft touch buttons
Rev: June 27, 2013 Page 5 of 21
A PC port is included on the hot shoe mount This allows the use of external flash
unit(s) to be used as fill flash When the Lightning Bug™ senses a strike, the
shutter is released, and the camera will then fire the attached flash when it
captures the image The possibilities of using fill flash with the Lightning Bug™ are
endless The button on the flash foot is used to test any flashes attached to the
PC port
To help you get the most out of your purchase please take a few minutes to read
this manual If you still have questions about using your Lightning Bug™, feel free
to email our technical support team at support@mkcontrols com We’ll be happy
to assist
For examples of the kinds of images that can be taken using the Lightning BugTM,
please look at the Gallery website page: http://www mkcontrols com/gallery
Here are a few images created using the Lightning Bug™
Rev: June 27, 2013 Page 6 of 21
Lightning BugTM Features
-26 Levels of sensitivity adjust ent.
-Auto atic or anual operation of the ca era’s eter*.
-Attaches to your ca era via an industry standard hot-shoe ount. Cables
are available to fit a wide range of ca eras.
-Three si ple buttons control all of the features.
-Allows li iting of fra es per second – can be adjusted fro a 1 to 10 FPS.
-Water resistant overlay with soft-touch controls protects the Lightning
Bug™ fro incle ent weather, and ensures that it won’t be accidentally
turned on or off.
-Highly visible orange LED display shows at a glance the current
configuration settings.
-Bright yellow LED flashes when the unit detects an event within its field of
view.
-Allows synchronizing of an external flash unit for unique ‘foreground-fill’
shots.
-Allows testing of your ca era connection.
-Retains user settings, even with battery re oved.
-Power saving ode to prolong battery life.
-Battery can be re oved or replaced without re oving the Lightning
BugTM fro your ca era.
-Power On Self-Test (POST) insures that the unit is operational every ti e
you turn it on.
-Electrical isolation between the unit and your ca era via MOSFET
technology to protect the ca era’s electronics.
* Feature available on units with a serial number greater than 102501002046 – for older units you can
send your unit back to MK Controls for a free upgrade – check our website for full details
Rev: June 27, 2013 Page 7 of 21
Specifications
Front overhang fro center of ca era shoe: 3.51” / 89.15
Rear overhang fro center of ca era shoe: 0.74” / 18.80
Overall Height not including shoe ount: 1.13” / 28.70
Overall Height including shoe ount: 2.10” / 53.34
Overall Length: 4.25” / 107.95
Overall Width: 2.60” / 66.04
Weight without battery: 2.96 oz / 83.9 g
Weight with battery: 4.48 oz / 127.0 g
Ca era connector port~: 2.5 Stereo
Battery*: Standard 9 Volt
~Please contact MK Controls Technical Support for ore infor ation if you intend to ake your own cables.
* MK Controls reco ends either an Alkaline or General Purpose battery. Rechargeable Lithiu , NICAD and
NiMH batteries are not reco ended.
Rev: June 27, 2013 Page 8 of 21
Battery Installation/Re oval
The Lightning Bug™ case incorporates a battery compartment at the rear of the
unit A small latch unlocks a removable battery compartment door
A standard 9 Volt battery is required for operation To insert it, gently pull the 9V
connector wires out from the compartment and attach a battery The leads will
only allow the battery to be connected in one direction, and snap the leads in
place
After installation of the battery, the compartment door should be replaced – it
snaps into position with an audible click
To remove the battery, reverse the process
Please note:
MK Controls does not recommend leaving the battery in place during long storage periods
There is a slight current draw whenever the battery is installed, and after a period of months
the battery may no longer have sufficient operating power if left in the Lightning BugTM during
long-term storage In addition, batteries can, on occasion, leak electrolytes This fluid is
corrosive, and can damage the circuitry of the Lightning Bug™, in addition to the battery
connector The Lightning Bug™ Warranty does not cover damage due to a leaking battery
Rechargeable batteries are not recommended for use in the Lightning Bug™ due to the current
consumption characteristics of the circuitry during operation
Rev: June 27, 2013 Page 9 of 21
Ca era Connection
Each Lightning Bug™ purchased includes one cable for connection to your camera
Additional and/or replacement cables are available from MK Controls, or most
resellers like camera shops
The camera connector has a 2 5mm stereo male plug on one end, and the
appropriate connector for your camera on the other The 2 5mm female socket is
located at the lower right on the unit When inserting the cable, please make
sure it is fully seated for proper operation
The camera connector is specific for the model camera you’re using – please
follow manufacturer’s recommendations for insertion of this connector
When the Lightning Bug™ is powered on, it will automatically activate your
camera’s meter (on cameras that support this feature) Turning the unit ‘off’
automatically will release the meter There is also a feature that allows your
meter to always remain deactivated until the shutter is tripped – please see the
‘Additional Features’ section for more information
The Lightning Bug™ is designed to fit an industry standard shoe mount, and is self-
explanatory
Rev: June 27, 2013 Page 10 of 21
Operation
Mounting the Lightning BugTM on a Ca era
First, make sure that both the Lightning BugTM and your camera are powered off
Attach the unit to your camera’s hot-shoe, and then install the shutter cable You
can then power both units on – either can be turned on first
Point your camera, and the let the Lightning Bug™ do the rest!
Basic User Controls
The Lightning Bug™ has three ‘soft-touch’ buttons that are used to operate all of
the features:
On/Off
Decrease Sensitivity
Increase Sensitivity
On/Off - Press and hold this button for approximately 2 seconds to turn the
Lightning Bug™ on or off When the unit is first turned on, it will execute a Power
On Self-Test (POST), which will light up all of the LED’s and perform an internal
function verification If during the POST you notice that any LED’s fail to
illuminate, please contact MK Controls Technical Support for troubleshooting
Decrease Sensitivity - Tap this button to decrease the sensitivity of the Lightning
Bug™. When this button is pressed, the bargraph display (orange LED’s) will be
show the current sensitivity level There are a total of 26 levels of available
sensitivity The factory default setting is level 12
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