Help with AF500FTZ and Cactus V2s

[sychen]

Hi,

I have a set of Cactus v2s and a Pentax AF500FTZ flash.

The Cactus works just fine with my 540 flash but cannot get it to work with the AF500FTZ.

Can anyone help figure out what I'm doing wrong?
The receiver gets the signal but nothing happens with the flash.
The same receiver works with the 540.

I have tried all the modes on the flash but cannot get it to fire.

I can get it to fire optically in slave mode so it does work.

Camera is a K10D.

Cheers
Shang

[phenri]

Sorry if I ask questions which may seem basic, but:

1. have you set the 500FTZ to manual ?
2. how did you connect the Cactus receiver to the 500FTZ ? Via the hotshoe connector ? If this is the case, you may want to check that you inserted it in the right direction. If you insert it the wrong way, which is possible, it just wont fire.
3. do you use a speed below 1/180sec ? In practise, 1/160sec is the minimum you can use. Below 1/180sec (say, 1/200sec) it wont fire.

[sychen]

Hi Phenri,

1. yes, Set 500FTZ to manual
2. connected via hotshoe.. the right way...
3. Yes shutter below 1/180

I just remove the receiver from 500 and plug into 540 and it fires right away with same setup.

Cheers
Shang

[phenri]

I'am at a loss ... In the end it may well be a compatibility problem, like the one which affects the Canon 420EZ.

[troywhite]

I have the Cactus V2's and I also use an AF500FTZ and it works no problems at all.

It must be your particular flash.

Make sure you *don't* set it to Slave. It must be in normal mode. Other than that everything else seems ok from what you have written.

Yep they do work with that flash

[sychen]

Thats great to hear Troy...

I'll try it again tonight when I get home.

Your the first to confirm that the combo works... ( or supposed to work )

Thanks
Shang

[sychen]

That was the trick.... I was putting it in slave mode.

However... it was only part of the problem.

I think i did put it in normal mode before but didnt fire... seems like the mount on the flash is a bit loose.

When locked down.. the flash does not fire.
When loose.. and on one angle it fires just fine.

I'll have to try a few things to get this working correctly.. may need a shim on the top part of the mount to put downward pressure on the contact point.

Thanks for your help Troy.

Cheers
Shang

[emr]

Originally Posted by phenri

I'am at a loss ... In the end it may well be a compatibility problem, like the one which affects the Canon 420EZ.

phenri, could you please elaborate what's this compability problem? I was just trying to find a way to use my old Canon 420EZ with my Pentax K20D.

[sychen]

Hi emr,
You will need a remote system to fire the Canon 420EZ off camera.
Cactus V2s should work, so will more expensive/advanced solutions such as PocketWizards.

Don't think that will work correctly on a pentax camera. At best in full manual mode.

Cheers
Shang