August 24, 1999

The FL-40 Flash

External flash unit for CAMEDIA Series digital cameras Powerful coverage up to GN 40 High-precision control

FL-40

Summary

Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that sales of the FL-40 flash will begin on September 15, 1999. The first external flash unit for digital cameras brings exceptional power and precise creative control to Olympus' popular CAMEDIA C-2500L and C-1400XL models.

Creating Possibilities

Applications for digital cameras have quickly spread beyond the business segment to personal imaging. As demand has grown, there have been increasing calls for models and accessories that offer more functions and creative possibilities. The FL-40 answers this need. It combines the power of a maximum guide number (GN) of 40 with the precision of controlling the illumination in 1/8 EV steps*. Uniform distribution ensures that the edges of an image are bright and clear. Since the FL-40 has a communication function, it works with the C-2500L's TTL Auto control. The intensity of the illumination can also be set automatically or manually on the flash unit. When they use the FL-40 with a built-in flash, photographers can experiment with sophisticated lighting techniques. The external unit can bounce the flash off the ceiling, for example, while the built-in unit creates a catchlight effect by illuminating the subject directly.

* Manual control only with the C-2500L. Remote illumination control from the camera is in 1/3 EV steps.

Main Features

Broad, Powerful Coverage

GN 26 illumination is suited to wide-angle images, while GN 40 has the power for telephoto shots. The settings can be changed automatically, making it easy to enjoy the full capabilities of a high-powered external flash.

High-Precision Control

Where other flash systems typically have steps of 1/2-1 EV, the FL-40's illumination can be controlled with the extra precision of 1/4 EV steps. When this control is combined with the camera's flash modes, it opens up a wide range of creative possibilities.

Uniform Light Distribution

The FL-40 distributes light precisely and evenly, maintaining illumination of approximately -0.5 EV around the subject. This broad coverage ensures that images are bright and clear all the way to the edges.

Specifications

Type Extension flash for digital still cameras Guide Numbers Set automatically as follows: Telephoto: 40 Wide-angle: 26 In wide panel: 18 Illumination Angle (Equivalent to 35 mm camera angle) Set automatically as follows: Wide-angle: 58degrees vertical, 70degrees horizontal (covers a field angle of 28 mm); Telephoto: 28degrees vertical, 34degrees horizontal (covers a field angle of 80 mm); In wide panel: 70degrees vertical, 86degrees horizontal (covers a field angle of 21 mm). Emitting Time*1 Approx. 1/20,000 sec.-1/500 sec. Maximum Number of Flashes*1 (When using full power) Approx. 100 (with AA alkaline batteries) Approx. 80 (with Ni-MH/Ni-Cd batteries) Required Charge Time*2 (Full flash to CHARGED lamp lighting) Approx. 10 sec. (with AA alkaline batteries) Approx. 8 sec. (with Ni-MH/Ni-Cd batteries) Flash Modes TTL Auto, R-TTL Auto, Auto, Manual Sleep Mode Power shut off automatically, which is linked with the Sleep mode of the camera with communications capabilities. Bounce Angle Upward: 0-90 degrees; to left: 0-90 degrees; to right: 0-180 degrees AF Illuminator Automatically emits light in low illumination only when connected to the camera with communications capabilities. Effective ranges*3: short distance: from 1.5 m; long distance: 3-7m. Power Supply 1.5V AA alkaline batteries x 4 (Also runs on Ni-MH/Ni-Cd batteries) Size 132 (H) x 77 (W) x 116.5 (D) mm (excluding protrusions) Weight 350 g (without batteries)

*1 Varies depending on emitting amount. *2 Varies depending on photographic condition. *3 Varies depending on the camera on which the flash is mounted.