Godox AR400 - Powerful Ring Flash Manual

FOREWORD

Before using this product
Please read this user manual carefully in order to ensure your safety and the proper operation of this product. Keep for future reference.

Thank you for purchasing this product.
Powerful Ring Flash AR400 is the perfect choice for portrait photography, product shooting, photojournalistic and video recording, etc. It can function as ring flash, outdoor flash, as well as LED video light to offer stable light source with high power and great portability. This ring flash offers:

• 400Ws high power, GN36(m ISO 100)
• Pro 4000mAh Li-ion battery—0.05-3s recycle time—approx. 400 full power pops
• 22 steps of precise power control (1/1~1/128)
• Stable color temperature at 5600±200K
• Supports for Multi flash modes, High-Speed Sync, etc.
• Use designed remote control to adjust flash parameters and trigger the flash
• Set as LED video light to offer continuous lighting source

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

Do not disassemble. Should repairs become necessary, this product must be sent to an authorized maintenance center.

Keep out of reach of children.

Stop using this product if it breaks open due to extrusion, falling or strong hit. Otherwise, electric shock may occur if you touch the electronic parts inside it.

Do not fire the flash directly into the eyes (especially those of babies) within short distances. Otherwise visual impairment may occur.

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

Do not leave or store the flash unit if the ambient temperature reads over 50°C. Otherwise the electronic parts may be damaged.

Turn off the flash unit immediately in the event of malfunction

Name of Parts

Body

1. Diffusion Cover
2. Flash Tube
3. LED Beads
4. Light Sensor
5. Control Panel
6. Bracket Mounting Hole
7. Battery Locking Key
8. Battery Pack
9. Wireless Control Port
10. Sync Cord Jack
11. PC Sync Socket

Control Panel

12. LCD Panel
13. Battery Level Indicator
14. LED Light Control Button
15. BUZZ Button
16. MODE Selection Button
17. SET Button
18. ON/OFF Power Switch
19. Test Button/Flash Ready Indicator
20. Select Dial

Brackets

Folding Light Bracket

21. Height Guide Rail
22. Depth Guide Rail
23. Angle Adjusting Knob
24. Depth Adjusting Knob
25. Camera Adjusting Knob

Umbrella Bracket

26. Bolt
27. Umbrella Input
28. Bracket Mounting Bolts

Included Accessories

1*Ring flash
1*Folding light bracket
1*Umbrella bracket
1*Diffusion cover
1*Battery charger
1*Li-ion Battery pack1*Instruction Manual

Separately Sold Accessories

The product can be used in combination with the following accessories sold separately, so as to achieve best photography effects:
FT-16 Remote Control, Photographic Umbrella, Light Stand, etc.

Installation

Installing the Diffusion Cover

1. Put the diffusion cover on the flash body and make the claws of the cover correctly fall into the hollow periphery of the body.
2. The diffusion cover can be detached by lifting it lightly.
   

Installing the Camera

1. Aim the Height Guide Rail (21) at the Bracket Mounting Hole (6) of the flash body. Then, screw the two Bracket Mounting Bolts (28) into the Bracket Mounting Hole (6) and tighten them.
   
2. Screw the Camera Adjusting Knob (25) into the camera's tripod socket and tighten it.
   
3. Adjust the Angle Adjusting knob (23) to let the camera lens pass through the ring flash.
   

Installing the Umbrella Bracket

1. Aim the umbrella bracket at the Bracket Mounting Hole (6) of the flash body. Then, screw the two Bracket Mounting Bolts (28) into the Bracket Mounting Hole (6) and tighten them.
2. Insert the photo umbrella.
3. Tighten the bolt to fix the photo umbrella.
   

Battery Pack

Features

1. This flash unit uses Li-ion polymer battery which has long runtime. The available chargeand-discharge times are 500.
2. It is reliably safe. The inner circuit is against overcharge, overdischarge, overcurrent, and short circuit.
3. Take only 3.5 hours to fully charge the battery by using the standard battery charger.

1. Do not short circuit.
2. Do not expose to rain or immerse into water. This battery is not water proof.
3. Keep out of reach of children.
4. No over 24 hours' continuous charging.
5. Store in dry, cool, ventilated places.
6. Do not put aside or into fire.
7. Dead batteries should be disposed according to local regulations.
8. If the battery had ceased using for over 3 months, please make a full recharge.

Loading and Unloading the Battery Pack

Loading: (1)Put the battery pack into the battery compartment. (2)Push the battery pack to the left until it is locked with a click sound.
Unloading: (1) Push the Battery Locking Key (7) downward. (2) Push the battery pack to the right to unload it.

Battery Level Indication

Note: When the LED light is on, the battery voltage is lower and the battery level indicator cannot display the correct amount.

Using the Flash

1. Power Management
   Press ON/OFF Power Switch for 2 seconds to power the ring flash on or off. Turn off if it will not be used for an extended period of time.
2. Power Control
   The flash output is adjustable from 1/1 full power to 1/128th power in 1/3rd step increments. To obtain a correct flash exposure, use a hand-held flash meter to determine the required flash output
   Turn the select dial to adjust the flash output and the rules are shown in the following table:

Figures displayed when reducing flash output level→

←Figures displayed when increasing flash output level

When the LCD panel shows "OF", it means that there is no flash output and the flash cannot be fired.

3. M Mode
   Press MODE Selection Button (16) to enter M mode. In this mode, you can set the flash unit onto your camera hot shoe or your trigger hot shoe for firing. During shooting, adjust the power output and press the camera shutter, then the camera flash will fire a flash under the camera synchronous signal. In this mode, the light sensor is off.
4. S1 Mode: S1 Slave Triggering Mode
   Press Mode Selection Button (16) to enter S1 mode. In this mode, the flash unit can function as a slave flash for creating multiple lighting effects. It is respectively applicable to manual flash environment.
   In S1 mode, the flash unit will fire synchronously when the master flash fires, the same effect as that by the use of radio triggers.
5. S2 Mode: S2 Slave Triggering Mode
   Press Mode Selection Button (16) to enter S2 mode. In this mode, the flash unit can function as a slave flash for creating multiple lighting effects. It is respectively applicable to TTL system.
   In S2 mode, the flash unit will ignore a single "preflash" from the master flash and will only fire in response to the second, actual flash from the master.
6. RPT Mode: Stroboscopic Flash
   Press Mode Selection Button (16) to enter RPT mode. With stroboscopic flash, a rapid series of flashes is fired. It can be used to capture multiple images of a moving subject in a single photograph.
   You can set the firing frequency (number of flashes per sec. expressed as Hz), the number of flashes, and the flash output.
   For setting procedures, see the following:
   • Press the Mode Selection Button (16) so that "RPT" is displayed.
   • Press Set Button (17) to select the item to be set. The item blinks.
   • Rotate Select Dial (20) to set a desired number.

To avoid overheating and deteriorating the flash head, do not use stroboscopic flash more than 10 times in succession.

Maximum Stroboscopic Flashes:

7. Hi-Speed Sync Triggering
   To enter mode, press both Mode Selection Button (16) and LED Light Control Button(14). Press Mode Selection Button (16) again to exit mode.
   In hi-speed sync triggering mode, you can use a hi-speed sync trigger to have your flash unit synchronize with all shutter speeds of cameras(max. 1/8000 second, up to your camera). This is convenient when you want to use aperture- priority for fill-flash portraits.

Note:

• Hi-speed sync triggering mode is effective only when the flash unit is used together with hi-speed sync trigger, e.g., Godox Cells II transceiver.
• Hi-speed sync triggering mode is not available when the flash unit is mounted onto the camera hotshoe.

To avoid overheating or deteriorating the flash head, the over-temperature protection function will be activated automatically after 10 continuous high-speed flashes and the recycle time becomes 10s longer.

Number of flashes that will activate over-temperature protection in high-speed sync triggering mode:

8. LED Light Control
   Press the LED Light Control Button (14) to control LED light: Off→30%→70%→100%→
   Off......
   When the LED light is turned on, the icon is shown on the LCD display.

9. Buzz Function
   The buzz function can be controlled by pressing BUZZ Button (15).
   When the buzzer is turned on, is shown on the LCD display.
10. Wireless Control FunctionThe flash unit is built in with a Wireless Control Port (9) so that you can wirelessly control the on-and-off of your flash, modeling lamp and buzzer, as well as adjust the flash output level, etc.
    • To control the flash wirelessly, you need a Godox FT series remote control set (on camera and on-flash transceiver). Insert its receive end into the Wireless Control Port (9) on the flash and insert the transmit end into the camera hot shoe. Settings made on the hotshoe-mounted transceiver and receive ends will be wirelessly communicated to the flash. Then you can press the camera shutter-release button to trigger the flash.
    • For full instructions on the use of FT series remote control, see its user manual.
    • When the flash unit receives wireless signals, is shown on the LCD display.
11. Sync Triggering
    The Sync Cord Jack (10) is a Φ3.5mm plug. Insert a trigger plug here and the flash will be fired synchronously with the camera shutter.
12. PC Sync Triggering
    Insert one end of a PC sync cable into the PC Sync Socket (11) of the flash unit and the other end into the PC Sync Socket on the camera. The flash unit will fire when the camera's shutter-release button is pressed.

Protection Function

Over-Temperature Protection

• To avoid overheating and deteriorating the flash head, do not fire more than 40 continuous flashes in fast succession at 1/1 full power. After 40 continuous flashes, allow a rest time of at least 10 minutes.
• If you fire more than 40 continuous flashes and then fire more flashes in short intervals, the inner over-temperature protection function may be activated and make the recycling time about 10 to 15 seconds. If this occurs, allow a rest time of about 10 minutes, and the flash unit will then return to normal.
• When the over-temperature protection is started, is shown on the LCD display.

Number of flashes that will activate over-temperature protection:

Technical Data

Maintenance

• Shut down the device immediately should abnormal operation be detected.
• Avoid sudden impacts and the lamp should be dedusted regularly.
• It is normal for the flash tube to be warm when in use. Avoid continuous flashes if unnecessary.
• Maintenance of the flash must be performed by our authorized maintenance department which can provide original accessories. The flash-tube is user-replaceable. Replacement tubes can be obtained from the manufacturer.
• This product, except consumables e.g. flash tube, is supported with a one-year warranty.
• Unauthorized service will void the warranty.
• If the product had failures or was wetted, do not use it until it is repaired by professionals.
• Disconnect the power when cleaning the unit or when changing the flashtube.
• Changes made to the specifications or designs may not be reflected in this manual.