Thank you for purchasing Arsenal! This guide will help you get your Arsenal setup and running.
What You’ll Need
These instructions are for Nikon camera users with an iPhone running iOS 10 or newer. If you own a different brand of camera or use an Android phone, please see our other setup articles.
Your Arsenal order comes with:
1 Arsenal hardware device
1 USB cable for connecting your camera
1 USB charging cable
The camera cable you received matches the camera model you specified when confirming your order. Learn more about cable types and ordering additional cables.
How to Charge Your Arsenal
Arsenal has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. To charge your Arsenal:
Find the included USB charging cable
Plug the cable into Arsenal’s charging port on the right side of the device, near the power button. Take care to orient the cable correctly with the two small "teeth" facing down.
Plug the other end into a USB power source (or wall outlet, using a USB wall adapter)
A small orange light indicates Arsenal is charging. When charging is complete, the light will turn off.
IMPORTANT: Only Arsenal’s right USB port will charge the device. Be sure to connect the charging cable to Arsenal’s right side. (Using the wrong port won’t damage the device, but it also won’t charge!)
Be sure to fully charge Arsenal before using it in the field or storing it for a long period of time.
If you have trouble charging your Arsenal, see power and battery troubleshooting.
Before you start setup…
To help your first experience with Arsenal go smoothly, we strongly recommend the following:
On your phone:
Turn off WiFi Assist on your phone. The WiFi Assist is on by default on your phone; this allows the phone to automatically switch from WiFi to a cellular network in an attempt to maintain a stable connection to the internet. This can cause the WiFi connection to the Arsenal to be dropped. To turn this feature off on your phone go to Settings > Cellular or Settings > Mobile Data. Then scroll down and tap the slider for WiFi Assist.
Ensure you have a good internet connection. This will help avoid a frustrating download process.
On your camera:
If possible, start with a blank memory card in your camera. This will improve the Arsenal app's initial performance.
Fully charge your camera's battery. (Some cameras disable their USB port when the battery is low.)
If your camera allows for customizing the exposure step, please check to make sure it is set to 1/3 or 0.3 EV.
On your camera, turn off ADL (Active D Lighting). This is located in the Shooting menu (the one represented by a camera) on your Nikon, and scroll down until you reach Active D-Lighting. Highlight this, press OK, and you'll be presented with a menu of Active D-Lighting options. Set to OFF, then hit OK again.
On your camera under your “Shooting Menu” set “Manual Movie Settings” to NO. If it is set to YES, Arsenal can only access shutter speeds between 1/8000 and 1/30.
If your camera has a manual video switch on the back please make sure this is set to “Camera” mode.
How to set up your Arsenal with a Nikon + iPhone
The first time you use Arsenal, you’ll need to set it up with your phone and camera. The download and installation of the firmware usually takes around 15-20 minutes.
Arsenal uses a mobile app to control and update the Arsenal device from your phone. To download the app, open your phone’s app store and search for "Arsenal Remote” or "Arsenal Camera"
1. Charge your Arsenal
2. Download the Arsenal Remote app
3. Link Arsenal with your phone app
Next, you’ll link Arsenal with your phone app so it can control your camera and send updates to your device.
Turn on your Arsenal device by briefly pressing and releasing the power button. You’ll see a small green light turn on.
Open the Arsenal app on your phone.
The app will ask to join a temporary “arsenal” WiFi network. When prompted, allow the connection.
If you have trouble linking your phone to Arsenal, see app and phone troubleshooting.
4. Update Arsenal's Firmware
If a firmware update is available, you will be prompted to download and install it before using Arsenal. You will not have to do this often, but it is important to check for new updates before you go out to shoot with Arsenal. Especially if you will not have internet access.
When the app prompts you to update the firmware, click Download.
Your phone will rejoin your normal WiFi network to download the update. If no WiFi is found, it will ask if you want to download using cellular data. The file is approximately 400MB, so this will use a significant amount of data, and carrier charges may apply. When the download is finished, the app will request to rejoin the Arsenal network. Select “Join” and your phone will begin transferring the file to your Arsenal.
After the transfer is completed, the blue LED bar will turn on and Arsenal will begin installing the firmware updates. This takes approximately 15 minutes.
When Arsenal has finished installing the firmware update, the blue LED bar will turn off. In the app, click Next. Note: Do not click Next until the blue LEDs have turned off.
Arsenal will set up a new, private WiFi network for your device, (e.g. arsenal-adjective-noun-number). Give permission to join the new network when prompted.
5. Attach Arsenal to your Camera
The easiest way to do this is by using your camera’s hot shoe
Hold the device so that the Arsenal lettering is on top and facing you when you’re behind the camera.
Line up Arsenal’s “foot” behind your camera’s hot shoe (the metal slot on top of the camera).
Slide Arsenal into the hot shoe.
Plug the other end of the cable into the USB port on your camera.
Use the included curly USB camera cable to connect Arsenal with your camera. Plug the rectangular end of the cable into the port on the left side of Arsenal (opposite of the power button). Take care to orient the teeth of the cable facing downwards as pictured below.
Plug the other end of the cable into the USB port on your camera.
IMPORTANT: Only Arsenal’s left USB port (opposite side from the power button) can talk to your camera. Be sure to connect your camera to Arsenal’s left side.
The USB cable you received matches the camera you selected when placing your order. If the curly USB cable doesn’t fit your camera, please contact our support team.
If you have trouble with your camera cable, see camera cable troubleshooting.
Once you have configured your Nikon camera and updated the firmware you can then power Arsenal on, open the app, and click “Get Started”.
Now you’re ready to start shooting with Arsenal!
Learn more
The app is pretty intuitive so feel free to dive in. Or, check out our other Getting Started articles:
If you need further assistance please reach out to our friendly Support Team.