Cactus V6 Radio Trigger Review

**acoufap** · 05-20-2016, 11:12 AM

(Hope it's ok to post my question in this tread.)

I think about buying a Meike TTL Speedlite MK-300 or MK-320 as a very compact carry around flash. Unfortunately these are not available as Pentax version.

Since I own a Canon Powershot G10 I could buy the Canon version and use on G10 and also on Pentax cameras via Cactus V6. Seems these flashes offer a good M mode. Did anyone try to create a profile in V6 learning mode for these flashes and had success?

Any other notes?

Thanks in advance!

mcgregni · 05-20-2016, 11:23 AM

Since it's a 'TTL' flash then the profiling should work fine and that will generate a series of manual power steps. And you need 2 V6 units, one on the camera in Tx mode, the other on the flash in Rx mode. Sorry, I haven't done it, but I think in theory it's all fine.

**acoufap** · 05-20-2016, 11:32 AM

Originally posted by mcgregni

Since it's a 'TTL' flash then the profiling should work fine and that will generate a series of manual power steps. And you need 2 V6 units, one on the camera in Tx mode, the other on the flash in Rx mode. Sorry, I haven't done it, but I think in theory it's all fine.

Thanks for your fast reply! - I own two V6. I also think that it should work. Only want to be sure that it does really.

Class A · 07-25-2016, 07:26 AM - **1 Like**

FWIW, the Cactus V6II has been released.

It supports HSS for Pentax (still manual control, but no more workarounds). The standard Pentax flashes are supported and, most recently (with the latest firmware update), even the Metz 64 AF-1.

**acoufap** · 07-25-2016, 10:36 AM

Originally posted by Class A

FWIW, the Cactus V6II has been released.

It supports HSS for Pentax (still manual control, but no more workarounds). The standard Pentax flashes are supported and, most recently (with the latest firmware update), even the Metz 64 AF-1.

Thank you!

wed7 · 03-13-2017, 06:14 AM

Originally posted by Class A

FWIW, the Cactus V6II has been released.

It supports HSS for Pentax (still manual control, but no more workarounds). The standard Pentax flashes are supported and, most recently (with the latest firmware update), even the Metz 64 AF-1.

Is the Metz 58v1 supported by the V6II and RF60?

Class A · 03-15-2017, 12:14 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by wed7

Is the Metz 58v1 supported by the V6II and RF60?

Sorry, I don't know whether the Metz 58 AF-1 is supported by the V6II.

The 58 AF-1 was supported by the V6 but perhaps the 58 AF-1 supports both analogue and digital TTL protocols in which case the V6II would support it as well. The support may also depend on the firmware version you are running on the 58 AF-1. Seems likely that the 58 AF-1 would be supported by the V6II through the generic Pentax profile, but I wouldn't want to bet on it. Perhaps try to find an answer at the Cactus Community forum?

The RF60 will definitely not directly interact with a Metz 58 AF-1. If you put the latter on a V6(II) receiver, the RF60 should be able to control the 58 AF-1's power and fire it.

Class A · 03-27-2017, 04:14 AM - **1 Like**

Just came across this press release by Cactus: The V6II will receive P-TTL functionality as a free firmware upgrade!

It seems it will take them some time until they get round to Pentax, but that's great news, AFAIC. Personally, I'll keep using manual mode in the majority of cases but I guess even I will probably find applications where P-TTL may come in handy.

mcgregni · 03-27-2017, 09:35 AM

And I assumed it must have been you who persuaded them to add P-TTL !

Yes, its an interesting announcement .... unfortunately not for Pentax initially, but it appears to offer 'cross brand' TTL. I take this to mean that I could put a Canon E-TTL flash onto a Pentax DSLR and get automatic TTL flash exposures.... ? Also the added functionalities that are TTL based such as AF assist, 2nd Curtain and HSS may well be very useful.

I liked the idea of the 'exposure lock' .... I take that to be you get an initial P-TTL exposure, and assuming its what you want, you can lock it in so that it doesn't vary. That's likely to add to the practicality of P-TTL working in some scenarios.

Class A · 03-28-2017, 06:27 AM

Originally posted by mcgregni

And I assumed it must have been you who persuaded them to add P-TTL !

Nah, it wasn't me.

Originally posted by mcgregni

...unfortunately not for Pentax initially, but it appears to offer 'cross brand' TTL. I take this to mean that I could put a Canon E-TTL flash onto a Pentax DSLR and get automatic TTL flash exposures.... ?

That's how I understand it as well.

Originally posted by mcgregni

Also the added functionalities that are TTL based such as AF assist, 2nd Curtain and HSS may well be very useful.

Of these, AF-assist and HSS are already working with the current V6II. Only second-curtain sync (and obviously automatic exposure control) should be a new addition. I hope they can make second-curtain sync work. One does not need it often, but when you need it, the current workaround using a manual delay isn't the most convenient.

Originally posted by mcgregni

I liked the idea of the 'exposure lock' .... I take that to be you get an initial P-TTL exposure, and assuming its what you want, you can lock it in so that it doesn't vary.

Yes, that's what I'm assuming as well. Should give one the best of both worlds: A useful starting point without any trial and error using P-TTL and then reliability and consistency by locking the result.

mcgregni · 03-28-2017, 08:11 AM

Originally posted by Class A

(Originally posted by mcgregni - ' Also the added functionalities that are TTL based such as AF assist, 2nd Curtain and HSS may well be very useful')

Of these, AF-assist and HSS are already working with the current V6II. Only second-curtain sync (and obviously automatic exposure control) should be a new addition. I hope they can make second-curtain sync work. One does not need it often, but when you need it, the current workaround using a manual delay isn't the most convenient.

Yes, and in the case of HSS, at present that is Manual HSS ..... I'm thinking that the new update is bringing automatic (P-TTL) HSS via radio remote control. That would be a very worthwhile new benefit; as you know I believe that the extra power control inputs needed for manual HSS are a burden in changing light when the shutter speeds need adjusting to respond.

Obin Robinson · 04-01-2017, 08:24 AM

I decided to take the Cactus V6s out of the box they've been in for a few months and use them for a quick photo session. As always I was angered that the stupid little things don't work as advertised. Read the manual? Didn't help. Watched tutorial videos? Didn't help. Read the troubleshooting forums on the Cactus site? Didn't help. I can only get the V6 to flash once when I start everything up and the camera won't trigger it again unless everything is turned off and back on again. I have so many issues getting the V6s to work that I figure it's time to just use a better product. My next step with the V6 is to get a sledgehammer and smash them to pieces.

Cactus sucks and these V6 triggers are pure crap. They are by far the biggest waste of time and money I've ever had the misfortune of attaching to any camera I've owned.

obin

paulster · 04-01-2017, 06:44 PM

Originally posted by Obin Robinson

I decided to take the Cactus V6s out of the box they've been in for a few months and use them for a quick photo session. As always I was angered that the stupid little things don't work as advertised. Read the manual? Didn't help. Watched tutorial videos? Didn't help. Read the troubleshooting forums on the Cactus site? Didn't help. I can only get the V6 to flash once when I start everything up and the camera won't trigger it again unless everything is turned off and back on again. I have so many issues getting the V6s to work that I figure it's time to just use a better product. My next step with the V6 is to get a sledgehammer and smash them to pieces.

Cactus sucks and these V6 triggers are pure crap. They are by far the biggest waste of time and money I've ever had the misfortune of attaching to any camera I've owned.

obin

What firmware are you running on them? And what camera and flash gear? My V6es are super-reliable. The V6 II less so, but it is still bleeding-edge and they are constantly working on the firmware.

Sliver-Surfer · 04-01-2017, 08:14 PM

Originally posted by Obin Robinson

I decided to take the Cactus V6s out of the box they've been in for a few months and use them for a quick photo session. As always I was angered that the stupid little things don't work as advertised. Read the manual? Didn't help. Watched tutorial videos? Didn't help. Read the troubleshooting forums on the Cactus site? Didn't help. I can only get the V6 to flash once when I start everything up and the camera won't trigger it again unless everything is turned off and back on again. I have so many issues getting the V6s to work that I figure it's time to just use a better product. My next step with the V6 is to get a sledgehammer and smash them to pieces.

Cactus sucks and these V6 triggers are pure crap. They are by far the biggest waste of time and money I've ever had the misfortune of attaching to any camera I've owned.

obin

Mail them to me. I will pay for shipping

Obin Robinson · 04-02-2017, 02:12 AM

Originally posted by paulster

What firmware are you running on them? And what camera and flash gear? My V6es are super-reliable. The V6 II less so, but it is still bleeding-edge and they are constantly working on the firmware.

I tried every firmware version possible in order to get these stupid things to work as advertised. They simply do not get along with Metz flashes regardless of what Cactus claims. I am sick and tired of wasting time with them. I am buying the Paul C Buff trigger system instead.

obin

07-25-2016, 07:26 AM - 1 Like	#229
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251 Original Poster	No more HSS workarounds with the V6II FWIW, the Cactus V6II has been released. It supports HSS for Pentax (still manual control, but no more workarounds). The standard Pentax flashes are supported and, most recently (with the latest firmware update), even the Metz 64 AF-1.

03-27-2017, 04:14 AM - 1 Like	#233
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251 Original Poster	Just came across this press release by Cactus: The V6II will receive P-TTL functionality as a free firmware upgrade! It seems it will take them some time until they get round to Pentax, but that's great news, AFAIC. Personally, I'll keep using manual mode in the majority of cases but I guess even I will probably find applications where P-TTL may come in handy. Last edited by Class A; 03-27-2017 at 05:03 AM.

03-28-2017, 08:11 AM	#236
mcgregni Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 2,603	Originally posted by Class A (Originally posted by mcgregni - ' Also the added functionalities that are TTL based such as AF assist, 2nd Curtain and HSS may well be very useful') Of these, AF-assist and HSS are already working with the current V6II. Only second-curtain sync (and obviously automatic exposure control) should be a new addition. I hope they can make second-curtain sync work. One does not need it often, but when you need it, the current workaround using a manual delay isn't the most convenient. Yes, and in the case of HSS, at present that is Manual HSS ..... I'm thinking that the new update is bringing automatic (P-TTL) HSS via radio remote control. That would be a very worthwhile new benefit; as you know I believe that the extra power control inputs needed for manual HSS are a burden in changing light when the shutter speeds need adjusting to respond. Last edited by mcgregni; 03-28-2017 at 08:21 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Cactus RF60 Flash Review	Class A	Flashes, Lighting, and Studio	171	02-18-2019 09:46 AM
Cactus V5 radio flash trigger review	Class A	Flashes, Lighting, and Studio	274	01-22-2019 10:36 PM
Capturing Decisive Moments with Laser Precision – A Review of the Cactus LV5 (beta)	Class A	Pentax Camera and Field Accessories	46	07-27-2018 08:56 AM
Cactus V6 Radio Trigger has Arrived	Class A	Flashes, Lighting, and Studio	28	05-14-2014 08:19 PM

05-20-2016, 11:12 AM	#226
acoufap Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Munich, Germany Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,187	(Hope it's ok to post my question in this tread.) I think about buying a Meike TTL Speedlite MK-300 or MK-320 as a very compact carry around flash. Unfortunately these are not available as Pentax version. Since I own a Canon Powershot G10 I could buy the Canon version and use on G10 and also on Pentax cameras via Cactus V6. Seems these flashes offer a good M mode. Did anyone try to create a profile in V6 learning mode for these flashes and had success? Any other notes? Thanks in advance!

05-20-2016, 11:23 AM	#227
mcgregni Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 2,603	Since it's a 'TTL' flash then the profiling should work fine and that will generate a series of manual power steps. And you need 2 V6 units, one on the camera in Tx mode, the other on the flash in Rx mode. Sorry, I haven't done it, but I think in theory it's all fine.

05-20-2016, 11:32 AM	#228
acoufap Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Munich, Germany Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,187	Originally posted by mcgregni Since it's a 'TTL' flash then the profiling should work fine and that will generate a series of manual power steps. And you need 2 V6 units, one on the camera in Tx mode, the other on the flash in Rx mode. Sorry, I haven't done it, but I think in theory it's all fine. Thanks for your fast reply! - I own two V6. I also think that it should work. Only want to be sure that it does really.

07-25-2016, 10:36 AM	#230
acoufap Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Munich, Germany Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,187	Originally posted by Class A FWIW, the Cactus V6II has been released. It supports HSS for Pentax (still manual control, but no more workarounds). The standard Pentax flashes are supported and, most recently (with the latest firmware update), even the Metz 64 AF-1. Thank you!

03-13-2017, 06:14 AM	#231
wed7 Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Manila, Philippines Posts: 1,421	Originally posted by Class A FWIW, the Cactus V6II has been released. It supports HSS for Pentax (still manual control, but no more workarounds). The standard Pentax flashes are supported and, most recently (with the latest firmware update), even the Metz 64 AF-1. Is the Metz 58v1 supported by the V6II and RF60?

03-15-2017, 12:14 AM - 1 Like	#232
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251 Original Poster	Originally posted by wed7 Is the Metz 58v1 supported by the V6II and RF60? Sorry, I don't know whether the Metz 58 AF-1 is supported by the V6II. The 58 AF-1 was supported by the V6 but perhaps the 58 AF-1 supports both analogue and digital TTL protocols in which case the V6II would support it as well. The support may also depend on the firmware version you are running on the 58 AF-1. Seems likely that the 58 AF-1 would be supported by the V6II through the generic Pentax profile, but I wouldn't want to bet on it. Perhaps try to find an answer at the Cactus Community forum? The RF60 will definitely not directly interact with a Metz 58 AF-1. If you put the latter on a V6(II) receiver, the RF60 should be able to control the 58 AF-1's power and fire it.

03-27-2017, 09:35 AM	#234
mcgregni Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 2,603	And I assumed it must have been you who persuaded them to add P-TTL ! Yes, its an interesting announcement .... unfortunately not for Pentax initially, but it appears to offer 'cross brand' TTL. I take this to mean that I could put a Canon E-TTL flash onto a Pentax DSLR and get automatic TTL flash exposures.... ? Also the added functionalities that are TTL based such as AF assist, 2nd Curtain and HSS may well be very useful. I liked the idea of the 'exposure lock' .... I take that to be you get an initial P-TTL exposure, and assuming its what you want, you can lock it in so that it doesn't vary. That's likely to add to the practicality of P-TTL working in some scenarios.

03-28-2017, 06:27 AM	#235
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251 Original Poster	Originally posted by mcgregni And I assumed it must have been you who persuaded them to add P-TTL ! Nah, it wasn't me. Originally posted by mcgregni ...unfortunately not for Pentax initially, but it appears to offer 'cross brand' TTL. I take this to mean that I could put a Canon E-TTL flash onto a Pentax DSLR and get automatic TTL flash exposures.... ? That's how I understand it as well. Originally posted by mcgregni Also the added functionalities that are TTL based such as AF assist, 2nd Curtain and HSS may well be very useful. Of these, AF-assist and HSS are already working with the current V6II. Only second-curtain sync (and obviously automatic exposure control) should be a new addition. I hope they can make second-curtain sync work. One does not need it often, but when you need it, the current workaround using a manual delay isn't the most convenient. Originally posted by mcgregni I liked the idea of the 'exposure lock' .... I take that to be you get an initial P-TTL exposure, and assuming its what you want, you can lock it in so that it doesn't vary. Yes, that's what I'm assuming as well. Should give one the best of both worlds: A useful starting point without any trial and error using P-TTL and then reliability and consistency by locking the result.

04-01-2017, 08:24 AM	#237
Obin Robinson Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 272	I decided to take the Cactus V6s out of the box they've been in for a few months and use them for a quick photo session. As always I was angered that the stupid little things don't work as advertised. Read the manual? Didn't help. Watched tutorial videos? Didn't help. Read the troubleshooting forums on the Cactus site? Didn't help. I can only get the V6 to flash once when I start everything up and the camera won't trigger it again unless everything is turned off and back on again. I have so many issues getting the V6s to work that I figure it's time to just use a better product. My next step with the V6 is to get a sledgehammer and smash them to pieces. Cactus sucks and these V6 triggers are pure crap. They are by far the biggest waste of time and money I've ever had the misfortune of attaching to any camera I've owned. obin

04-01-2017, 06:44 PM	#238
paulster Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 159	Originally posted by Obin Robinson I decided to take the Cactus V6s out of the box they've been in for a few months and use them for a quick photo session. As always I was angered that the stupid little things don't work as advertised. Read the manual? Didn't help. Watched tutorial videos? Didn't help. Read the troubleshooting forums on the Cactus site? Didn't help. I can only get the V6 to flash once when I start everything up and the camera won't trigger it again unless everything is turned off and back on again. I have so many issues getting the V6s to work that I figure it's time to just use a better product. My next step with the V6 is to get a sledgehammer and smash them to pieces. Cactus sucks and these V6 triggers are pure crap. They are by far the biggest waste of time and money I've ever had the misfortune of attaching to any camera I've owned. obin What firmware are you running on them? And what camera and flash gear? My V6es are super-reliable. The V6 II less so, but it is still bleeding-edge and they are constantly working on the firmware.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

04-01-2017, 08:14 PM	#239
Sliver-Surfer Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,558	Originally posted by Obin Robinson I decided to take the Cactus V6s out of the box they've been in for a few months and use them for a quick photo session. As always I was angered that the stupid little things don't work as advertised. Read the manual? Didn't help. Watched tutorial videos? Didn't help. Read the troubleshooting forums on the Cactus site? Didn't help. I can only get the V6 to flash once when I start everything up and the camera won't trigger it again unless everything is turned off and back on again. I have so many issues getting the V6s to work that I figure it's time to just use a better product. My next step with the V6 is to get a sledgehammer and smash them to pieces. Cactus sucks and these V6 triggers are pure crap. They are by far the biggest waste of time and money I've ever had the misfortune of attaching to any camera I've owned. obin Mail them to me. I will pay for shipping

04-02-2017, 02:12 AM	#240
Obin Robinson Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 272	Originally posted by paulster What firmware are you running on them? And what camera and flash gear? My V6es are super-reliable. The V6 II less so, but it is still bleeding-edge and they are constantly working on the firmware. I tried every firmware version possible in order to get these stupid things to work as advertised. They simply do not get along with Metz flashes regardless of what Cactus claims. I am sick and tired of wasting time with them. I am buying the Paul C Buff trigger system instead. obin