[jake14mw]

Hi all,

When Cactus released it's V6, and I read Class A's review, I thought that I was surely going to buy at least a couple of them. I have been using Cactus V5s with various flashes with great success for a couple of years. But being able to change flash power from the camera would be fantastic. At $55 each, my plan was to buy 3 of them. I never considered the RF60 at $140, because I had enough existing flashes, and I thought it would be less expensive just using those and a $55 trigger.

When the Yongnuo YN-560-TX was announced at $50, the V6s just seemed like a better deal considering all of their capabilities. I was going to buy a couple, but then thought I would ask for them for Christmas. Now, with the V6 up to $70, and the RF60 at $175, I am thinking that I am going to go the Yongnuo route. The Yonguo YN-560-TX can be found at only $35, and the YN-560-iii flash at $70.

My lighting needs require three or more flashes at times. For me, that takes the RF60 out of the equation, too expensive. So, I could go with V6s and use them with my existing flashes. But now that the V6 are at $70, and the Yongnuo YN-560iii flashes are $70, how would that make sense? To me, the only way that it would make sense is if you would make use of all the additional features of the V6. I have found that most times, I do not use all of the ancillary features of any product I buy. Useability is most important for me. So, here is my current thought process:

If you want the most feature rich product, and budget is not a prime consideration, go with Cactus. The system has many more features. Budget is a major consideration for me so:

• The text on the 560-TX looks larger and easier to read. That is big for me. Also, the buttons seem bigger, clearer and easier to use. Again, very important.
• It would be much simpler to use to not have to have a receiver and a flash. Simpler, and faster to set up and break down, less things to carry, less batteries to charge. As I am typing this, this point alone is making me want to order them right now.
• Having the same interface and setup on all flashes will be much easier.
• The maximum power of the 560iii is higher than some of the flashes they would replace
• If a lightstand falls, I would only be out $70 for a new flash. With the V6, I would be out $70, and possibly a lot more if I had my Metz or Pentax flashes.

Some advantages of the Cactus that matter to me:

• Much smaller profile on the camera. The 560-TX seems like it would feel awkward on the camera, where the V6 would be almost unnoticeable. It would be nice to be able to put the camera in a bag with the transmitter still mounted.
• The V6 is a transceiver. If your transmitter fails, you can use another as a transmitter. I guess this could be negated by the fact that you could buy two 560-TX for the same price as one V6, and have a spare.
• There are many other feature advantages of the Cactus that I am not going to list. I don't think I would make use of most of them though.
• One feature that I do have a question on: The ability to use TTL passthrough, and the ability of the "pseudo" HSS mode of the V6. My understanding of this is that you can set the v6 so that it could trigger a flash that could be used in a Wireless HSS mode. I know it is not true HSS, but my question is, is it really practical in use? I do plenty of outdoor portraits where I would like to be able to use flashes with fast shutter speeds.

So guys, I am thinking of ordering the Yongnuo system soon. Just thought I would get my thoughts out here to people so anyone could chime in with anything I have not thought of. I'm also hoping this thread could help others with their decisions. From what I have read, it seems that the reliability of both systems have been very good. Thanks to everyone for their input.

[Driline]

I purchased a Yongnuo 560 III flash and it lasted about 8 months. Suddenly died and refused to work anymore. I am not the only one either to have experienced this problem. Look at Amazon reviews. They may be cheap but you get what you pay for. YMMV.

[Class A]

Just briefly for now; I'll try to post more later.

For some people it is important that they can mount a flash on the transmitter. The YN560-TX does not support that.

The dial of the V6 is much more adequate for changing power levels.

The V6 has dedicated buttons for group de-/activation and selection. This is also more adequate than stepping through groups.

I think you are probably wrong in assuming the YN560-TX buttons are bigger and easier to use. The button layout of the YN560-TX is that of a Canon flash whereas the V6 interface elements were custom designed for a transceiver. I'm fairly sure all V6 buttons are bigger than those of the YN560-TX. The latter's display is obviously bigger, though.

I can understand the need to be budget conscious and one can do a lot even with the crippled Godox triggers but I think there is little doubt that the V6 has significantly better usability and will be a better investment in terms of being future proof (backward compatibility of future Cactus products and cross compatibility with third party products).

[Class A]

The YN560-TX does not appear to support changing the power levels of all active groups simultaneously by the same amount. This makes adjusting the overall illumination level quite a bit slower and introduces the chance of unintentionally changing ratios.

Also, one has to cycle through groups, i.e. even if you don't use group C, you still have to step through it all the time.

Together with the need for many double button presses and the sometimes cryptic display messages, the YN560-TX leaves a lot to be desired in terms of usability, AFAIC.

[RAART]

One feature that I do have a question on: The ability to use TTL passthrough, and the ability of the "pseudo" HSS mode of the V6. My understanding of this is that you can set the v6 so that it could trigger a flash that could be used in a Wireless HSS mode. I know it is not true HSS, but my question is, is it really practical in use? I do plenty of outdoor portraits where I would like to be able to use flashes with fast shutter speeds.

If this works I will order right away Cactus but I do not think that it will work.

Can anyone confirm if this works as OP explained?

[jake14mw]

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone. I appreciate it, keep it coming.

---------- Post added 11-29-14 at 07:10 PM ----------

I purchased a Yongnuo 560 III flash and it lasted about 8 months. Suddenly died and refused to work anymore. I am not the only one either to have experienced this problem. Look at Amazon reviews. They may be cheap but you get what you pay for. YMMV.

Thanks for giving your experience. I'm not sure Cactus products have proven more reliable than Yongnuo over their history. One of their V5 triggers failed on me, and my Yongnuo flash has not given me any problems over about 3 years.

[Class A]

One feature that I do have a question on: The ability to use TTL passthrough, and the ability of the "pseudo" HSS mode of the V6. My understanding of this is that you can set the v6 so that it could trigger a flash that could be used in a Wireless HSS mode. I know it is not true HSS, but my question is, is it really practical in use?

Have you read the respective section about HSS triggering with the V6?

It features an example shot and an explanation how to do it.

I've used the technique in bright sunlight and was surprised how easily I could match the brightness of the sun even from a distance. I used two RF60 combined though, not sure anymore at what power level.

The one problem with Pentax DSLRs is that you absolutely need one HSS-capable flash to make the camera generate a trigger signal even when the shutter speed exceeds the sync speed. There is no way around that and there won't be another solution for existing Pentax DSLRs until a company manufacturers a trigger that pretends to be an HSS-capable flash.

Since the V6 supports TTL pass-through, however, you can mount the HSS-capable flash on top of the V6 and guide its light output to the V6's optical slave. Alternatively, you somehow mount the V6 to the flash's head so that it can see the flash pulse. In my shoots, I just used my left hand to hold the V6 near to the flash's head.

For true HSS you then need to trigger off-camera flashes with the V6 that are capable of omitting a long HSS burst without requiring P-TTL communication, such as the Cactus RF60. The Godox V850 also has a manual HSS mode, but I'm not sure whether it can be engaged without the "Cells II" trigger (that is designed for Canon cameras). EDIT: Bdery states it isn't possible to use HSS on the V850 without the Cells II and a Canon camera.

If you don't have flashes that can emit an HSS burst off-camera then you could still use HyperSync. Here you just fire regular flashes at full power which gives you a pulse that lasts ~1/125s which is long enough to cover the 1/180s needed for Pentax DSLRs. However, you'll get a gradient of exposure as the pulse starts strong and then peters out towards the end of its duration. The less lit part is in the top of the frame, though, which is a good match for outdoors photography that often features sky in that area anyhow.

Hope this helps.

---

Last edited by Class A; 11-29-2014 at 11:18 PM.

[jake14mw]

Thanks, good points, my comments in bold

Just briefly for now; I'll try to post more later.

For some people it is important that they can mount a flash on the transmitter. The YN560-TX does not support that. Good Point, The one condition where I would see this to be useful is to utilize PTTL passthrough with "HSS". I would love to know how useful that really is. The Yongnuo YN560-IV flash does have a transmitter built in, so that does allow the flash on a shoe, but just the manual flash, not sure why anyone would want that.

The dial of the V6 is much more adequate for changing power levels. I guess it would be

The V6 has dedicated buttons for group de-/activation and selection. This is also more adequate than stepping through groups. Yes, that looks like a definite advantage. Can't get more intuitive for choosing a group than pressing that groups buttons. It also makes it very clear which groups are being used.

I think you are probably wrong in assuming the YN560-TX buttons are bigger and easier to use. The button layout of the YN560-TX is that of a Canon flash whereas the V6 interface elements were custom designed for a transceiver. I'm fairly sure all V6 buttons are bigger than those of the YN560-TX. The latter's display is obviously bigger, though. You are right, saying the buttons are bigger is wrong, but the contrast of the grey button color to the black background seems clearer to me. It's hard to judge without seeing them though.

I can understand the need to be budget conscious and one can do a lot even with the crippled Godox triggers but I think there is little doubt that the V6 has significantly better usability and will be a better investment in terms of being future proof (backward compatibility of future Cactus products and cross compatibility with third party products).

---------- Post added 11-29-14 at 08:41 PM ----------

Class A, I have a question on the V6. I know when you put your flash on the V6 for the first time that you have to tell it what flash you are using. Do you have to do that again each time you mount the flash? I also have a similar question for those that that use the Yongnuo. If I set a Yongnuo flash to group B, when I turn it on again, will it still be assigned to group B? I would like as little work as possible to get going on setup at each location.

[Class A]

Class A, I have a question on the V6. I know when you put your flash on the V6 for the first time that you have to tell it what flash you are using. Do you have to do that again each time you mount the flash?

No, you only do it once, if you indeed have a flash that can be power controlled.

Otherwise, you don't have to choose a profile at all.

The V6 (and RF60) memorises all important settings so that you don't have to set them time and again.

Using the V6's menu is really easy BTW, as the dial works for value selection as well and everything is spelled out in clear text as opposed to LCD enforced abbreviations like "Act" on the YN560-TX.

[ak_kiwi]

I also have a similar question for those that that use the Yongnuo. If I set a Yongnuo flash to group B, when I turn it on again, will it still be assigned to group B? I would like as little work as possible to get going on setup at each location.

Yes that is correct.

The YN560-TX does not appear to support changing the power levels of all active groups simultaneously by the same amount.

That is correct also.

Also, one has to cycle through groups, i.e. even if you don't use group C, you still have to step through it all the time.

Again correct.
However in reality it is acceptably quite quick to cycle through and change group power levels , despite the Yongnu having 6 groups rather than the Cactus's 4.
Is the Cactus more versatile and more user-friendly? Undoubtedly.
But do the pricing math on 4 flash system with a controller. Now factor in redundancy with an extra flash and controller to cover breakages and/or failure.
Buy the system that gives you features you need for the price you are prepared to pay.

[jake14mw]

One short, consise helpful review of the YN-560-TX
Yongnuo YN560-TX Review | DavidPartington.com

Class A's comprehensive review of the Cactus V6
Review: Cactus V6 - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

[jake14mw]

Well, I wound up ordering a YN-560TX and YN-560iii flash yesterday for $106, shipped. The bottom line is, I wanted to have at least two flashes with built in receivers and I simply could not justify the amount of money it would take on the Cactus system. I will test this combination when I get it, and if it as functional as I think, I will order at least one more YN-560 flash, probably the iv version with the transmitter function built in, just for some flexibility, although I would not see myself ever using a flash on camera as a trigger rather than the transmitter, but it is only 5 or $10 more than the iii version without the transmitter built in.

A factor that was bigger for me than it would be for most people was the size of the LCD and my perceived visability of controls on the transmitter.

I was looking on ebay this morning and saw someone selling a pair of RF603N ii tranceivers for $19 shipped, so I picked those up as well. I should be able to use those as remote camera triggers or in the rare cases where I need more flashes than I have YN-560s.

It will also be time for to start clearing out some of my other flashes and triggers, including my V5s, Sunpak and other flashes. If the Yongnuo passes my test, they will hit the marketplace.

A appreciate everyone's feedback. I still maintain the opinion that if budget is not a constraint, the Cactus system has far more features and is much more flexible. Having the USB port on their products means they can update them with fixes and enhancements and they have already done that. Also, their products seem to work with each other in a more organized fashion. I will give an update after the products arrive and I have a chance to review them. Thanks again to all.

[ak_kiwi]

Here is the manual for the YN560-TX if you haven't got it yet. (Apologies for the poor scanning)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w0twrgyv19q9hwt/Yongnuo%20YT560TX%2001.jpg

(hit on "view original" makes it easier to see)

[geru2000]

Yes that is correct.


That is correct also.


Again correct.
However in reality it is acceptably quite quick to cycle through and change group power levels , despite the Yongnu having 6 groups rather than the Cactus's 4.
Is the Cactus more versatile and more user-friendly? Undoubtedly.
But do the pricing math on 4 flash system with a controller. Now factor in redundancy with an extra flash and controller to cover breakages and/or failure.
Buy the system that gives you features you need for the price you are prepared to pay.

Maybe I'm but misunderstanding but if long press the group button (grp) I go immediately to the 2nd page (D through F groups).

[ak_kiwi]

Maybe I'm but misunderstanding but if long press the group button (grp) I go immediately to the 2nd page (D through F groups).

Yes you are correct. Short presses on the group button keep cycling through Groups A-C for page 1 and Groups D-F for page 2.
A two second press on the group button will change the Group page and take you to the top of that page.
Although it was probably possible to fit all six Groups on one page I guess they did it this way to keep the text larger and easier to read.

Also the button design on both the controller and 560III flash has been changed substantially from the earlier Yongnuo YN-560 (series 1) which had a soft press with little feed-back. When compared to even my Pentax AF540FGZII, the later Yongnuo push button feed-back is actually superior.