Senior Member Registered: June, 2018 Posts: 131 | | Review Date: January 7, 2020 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Fully-featured radio controlled speedlights | | Cons: | None | |
I have little to add to Nigel’s thorough write-up other than to agree that this is a fully featured flash solution with on-camera control of multiple groups via the V6ii and with support for P-TTL. Just make sure everything is running the latest firmware using the very straightforward Cactus Updater from their website. One happy customer!
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Veteran Member Registered: September, 2012 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 2,603
8 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 24, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 9 |
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Cactus V6II & RF60/x ‘X-TTL’
This is intended to be a brief overview of the Cactus system utilising their latest ‘X-TTL’ firmware updates and the features obtainable with a combination of their V6II transceiver and RF60/x flashes.
This is a 2.4Ghz radio system using AA batteries and with amax range of about 100m.
My setup involves one V6II unit (mounted on my Pentax K7 DSLR hotshoe), with one RF60 & one RF60x flash. The V6II is loaded with the ‘PEN001’ firmware, and the RF60 is loaded with the ‘A02’ and the RF60x with the‘A03’ firmware. These are the latest available for each respective device at the time of writing (January 2018).
The price listed above is for 1 new V6II unit and 2 new RF60x flashes.
The core feature set available with this system is
· Radio P-TTL / Radio Manual / Radio HSS (P-TTL& Manual)
· Radio Remote Control over Flash Mode (TTL / M),Flash Exposure/Output Level, and Flash head Zoom
· 4 Independent Groups with the ability to switch groups on/off and adjust each of the above settings independently from the on-camera Transceiver
· Automatic switching between Normal Sync and HighSpeed Sync in both TTL & Manual Flash modes (HSS up to 1/8000thsec)
· 2nd Curtain Sync in TTL and Manual Flash modes
In addition to these core features there are a number of extra functions such as; ‘Flash Power Lock’ (locks flash power in TTL mode, a kind of instant switch to manual); ‘Flash Compensate’ (holds a fixed flash exposure in Manual HSS mode while aperture, ISO and Time value can be changed);Multi Flash (a sequence of flash burst in one exposure); & ‘Powersync’ (for use with non-HSS flashes beyond the camera Max Sync Speed).
For now here I am only going to describe the use of the key features.
Firmware Installation
This is a very simple and reliable process. The Cactus Firmware Software is installed onto a computer and the Cactus devices are connected with USB cables. The software auto-detects the Cactus units and displays the available firmware options. The desired choice is selected with a button click, it is then downloaded in a few seconds and then a single press on the ‘install’ button loads the firmware, also in just a few seconds.
The updates are performed with the batteries removed from the Cactus devices. The software prompts you with the process for each specific device.
One limitation of the ‘X-TTL’ firmwares is that they are not compatible with the older V6 transceiver. So if it is desired to mix flasheswith a V6 Receiver into a system also with a V6II, then the V6II needs to be used with the ‘Multi-System’ firmware. This allows only Manual mode and no HSS for the flashes attached to the V6.
V6II Interface and Key Controls
The V6II provides a very intuitive and practical interfaceand display to assist in efficiently operating this system. The default modefor each Group is TTL, and the Group buttons cycle between TTL / Manual / Off /On with each press. A long press on a group button highlights the setting and allows individual adjustment of just that group with the e-dial. Without the selection then turning the e-dial adjusts all groups equally.
Pressing the e-dial ‘swaps’ the control to an alternative function, which is pre-set in the Menu. The most logical use of this is to swap to Zoom control. In this case the display changes to the focal length indications.
V6II Set-Up &Settings
The menu is accessed with its dedicated button, and moving around is easy with the e-dial and OK button to select things. The menu is exited with another press on the menu button. There are 5 specific menus; Functions / Camera & Flash Setup / PowerSetup / Radio Setup / Preferences.
In the Function Menu, the ‘Sync Mode’ item when set to‘Normal HSS’ allows automatic and seamless switching into and out of HSS mode. All that is required is to manually control your ‘Shutter Speed’ on the camera.The flash system will automatically switch between normal flash bursts and HSS output as needed. This applies equally to TTL and Manual Flash modes.
Most of the other settings will be a one-time ‘set and forget’ process, such as the Camera System (Pentax), EV steps, Channel, RadioID, backlight time, sleep time, dial direction etc etc. Like with most new devices, many of these can be tried and experimented with before settling on your preference.
One thing I do recommend is to set your EV steps to match that as used on your camera (1/2 or 1/3 steps).
RF60/x Set-up & Settings
When used in its Slave Mode, the RF60 really gives no reason for any direct user inputs at all. The only times I need to touch it are for switching on and off and pressing any button to wake it up after the sleep mode has engaged (the radio signal does not wake it up unfortunately).
The key set-up steps from within the menu include the Radio Channel (set to the same as the V6II) and the Radio ID (a mystery setting thepurpose of which remains elusive). The display illumination and sleep times can be preferenced also. The RF60x (thelatest type) has a ‘Cooling Function’ which determines the recycling and firing behaviours, so needs a user choice. Also there is a useful ‘Beep’ sound that can be set to alert you when the flash is ready to fire.Finally the Group of each individual flashneeds to be set using the dedicated button. Once set it remains permanently on that group until changed.
In Slave Mode (used off-camera via Radio control) there are no inputs needed on the flash for general use. All of the control comes from the V6II on the camera, including automatic switching into and out of HSS modeas needed. Also the Flash modes, TTL & Manual, as well as FlashCompensation, Flash Output and Flash Zoom settings are all performed remotely on the V6II, with no inputs on the flash at all.
I should point out that the RF60/x flashes also have a ‘Master’ mode (can perform as a Radio Tx for other Cactus devices) and a ‘Local’ mode (for use on-camera as a Manual Mode flash). But this Review is only concerned with this system configured for using the flashes as Radio Slaves.
RF60/x Design
This is a standard hotshoe type flash, relatively large,that takes 4 AA batteries. Its head rotates and swivels, and the Flash Zoom covers the standard ‘Full Frame’ range from 24mm to 105mm. It has a good build standard and robust feeling buttons, with a clear and easy to read display.There is a useful screw thread on one side which allows the flash to be directly attached to lighting stands with no bracket or adaptor.
The Radio Transceiver is built in, so when combined with aV6 or V6II transmitter there is no need for any Receiving trigger. All of the functions described in this review are obtainable via the in-built RadioTransceiver.
Working the System in Practice
The latest firmware updates have brought to me very secureand reliable performance. Placing the two flashes on opposite sides of a test subject I was able to instantly gain precise control over the brightness of each side, in both TTL and Manual modes.
The V6II interface makes working with the system a pleasure.The various combinations of button and dial inputs are easy to get used to, and the display gives security and confidence about what exactly is set at all times. Experimenting with TTL Flash Compensations gave very accurate adjustments to individual flash exposures, and multiple shots remained at exactly the same EVs very securely.
Manual mode is equally secure and easy to work with.Switching in and out of HSS was seamless, and Flash exposures generally very acceptable at a wide range of Time values. In TTL mode changes to Aperture and ISO had no effect on Flash Exposures, just as it should be. TTL mode works so consistently that for me it will render manual mode mostly redundant, as I find thinking in ‘Stops’ to be the most intuitive approach.
At this stage I only worked the system combined with manual camera mode (my usual approach). I have not tested how the flash exposures combine with automatic camera exposures, although in theory it should behave the same as for P-TTL dedicated system flashes, because the flash / ambient balance is controlled by the camera metering system.
2nd Curtain Sync also worked very well, with no concerns about flash exposure accuracy. It should be noted that 2ndCurtain Sync is a choice within the ‘Sync Modes’ menu, and is applicable to both P-TTL and Manual flash modes ......this brings new added functionality to what is offered within the Pentax dedicated system, which restricts 2nd Curtain Sync to P-TTL working.
But 2nd Curtain Sync does not apply to HSS mode, I guess logically enough given the technical means by which an HSS exposure is generated. Indeed it is necessary to switch out of ‘Normal HSS’ sync mode and into ‘Rear Curtain Sync’ mode. I didn’t test it but I presume the normal limitation of maximum 1/90th sec applies to 2nd Curtain Sync working, as this is a camera / flashsync limitation.
Initial Impressions
So overall I am glad to report that this latest batch of firmware updates to Cactus’s flash system has brought a great deal of new functionality and new options for Pentax flash photographers. In my opinion,within its category (Hotshoe type Radio P-TTL / Manual / HSS), the combination of V6II and RF60/x flashes is arguably unbeatable.
For anyone wanting to buy into a new system and who needs new flashes also then I would thoroughly recommend the Cactus V6II & RF60x units with the latest ‘X-TTL’ firmware.
Nigel McGregor, Jan 2018 | |
