[clackers]

But fortunately, I can probably buy a used HSS enabled flash. Like I said, low budget.

You could do worse than a secondhand AF360.

[Class A]

The cheap little Rokinon flash will work with my Cactus V6 now.

Thanks again, and again, and a million times over.

No worries.

[photokaybrown]

No worries.

Now, I have two V6s and an RF60 and still cannot figure out how to do HSS.

[Class A]

You need a shutter release cable (as opposed to a cabled shutter release remote) for my "HSS without P-TTL equipment"-trick to work.

[photokaybrown]

Okie Doke....I now have a used Pentax AF540 FGZ flash and tried to get it to do HSS off camera using two V6s. Not working. Not working. Not working. Cannot find the info to do this in the forum. I'm seriously thinking of going Canon. I'm so frustrated with Pentax.

[Class A]

I'm seriously thinking of going Canon.

No need.

Cactus have announced an Mk II version of their V6 trigger which will support native HSS via radio.

The V6 you have can only support true off-camera HSS lighting with the RF60. Other flashes don't support manually engaging HSS mode.

With your equipment you could still achieve HyperSync lighting. Here, one uses a speedlight at full power so that its pulse becomes long enough to illuminate the full frame.

With the V6 you still need a triggering workaround, e.g., use an on-camera P-TTL flash as an optical trigger source or use the starter pistol method.

The V6 Mk II won't need such a workaround and will support true HSS.

[clackers]

Okie Doke....I now have a used Pentax AF540 FGZ flash and tried to get it to do HSS off camera using two V6s. Not working. Not working. Not working. Cannot find the info to do this in the forum. I'm seriously thinking of going Canon. I'm so frustrated with Pentax.

I think any brand is going to be tough for you if you don't read manuals, Kay! ☺

[howieb101]

Hi.

If you were only going to use one off camera HSS flash (in your case the 540FGZ), it would probably have been easier just buying the Acon R930.

Class A has info on how to get HSS working with the Cactus V6's and your 540FGZ but it isn't as simple as the Acon solution. Search around the threads as the information is definitely there.

Howie Be

[stevebrot]

Okie Doke....I now have a used Pentax AF540 FGZ flash and tried to get it to do HSS off camera using two V6s. Not working. Not working. Not working. Cannot find the info to do this in the forum. I'm seriously thinking of going Canon. I'm so frustrated with Pentax.

Perhaps frustration with Cactus might be equally valid?* HSS in Pentax-land requires that both the camera and whatever is sitting in the hot shoe be aware of the photographer's intent and provide support for HSS. For off-camera there is also the requirement that the slave be in on the deal as well. Unless something has changed, I believe the same is true with the Canon system.

Sorry

As noted above, Class A's information (above) is tried and true.


Steve

* The V6 is does not transmit HSS P-TTL information wirelessly as needed for body-mediated HSS

[stevebrot]

The V6 Mk II won't need such a workaround and will support true HSS.

This is very, very cool and with any luck the frequency of HSS/Pentax inquiries on this site will fall off dramatically as a result.


Steve

[clackers]

Hi.

If you were only going to use one off camera HSS flash (in your case the 540FGZ), it would probably have been easier just buying the Acon R930.

I agree, Howie, the other methods just seem like hard work.

You're really getting an invisible P-TTL cable.

[mcgregni]

This is very, very cool and with any luck the frequency of HSS/Pentax inquiries on this site will fall off dramatically as a result. Steve

But then we'll have nothing to do !

Regarding the V6MkII, my assumption is that the key distinction between the and the Acons, is P-TTL.. So I'd assume that with the Cactus we'll get the radio trigger signal for HSS , but with manual flash exposure control. The Acon replicates a cord-connected dedicated system flash functioning as I understand it.

With 2 Cactus V6's and a Pentax flash then I think you will be using manual flash power settings on the flash, controllable from the V6, but with the Acon you could have P-TTL or manual ? I wonder, does the Acon support all the other dedicated flash functioning, such as auto flash head zoom, flash range display, 2nd curtain etc ?

[photokaybrown]

I have read both the Cactus V6 manual and the Pentax AF540 FGZ manual and could not make sense as to how to achieve HSS using both. I was mounting a V6 on my camera's hot shoe and in TX mode. I had another V6 in RX mode with my AF540 FGZ on top of it, and it was in SLAVE MODE. The channels and groups were all set up, I set the external flash (AF540FGZ) on HSS mode, and expected everything to work fine. NOPE. And now reading the comments here, I find that I only needed the AF540FGZ as a means of achieving HSS with an RF60 in HSS Sympathy mode. So basically I need:

(2) V-6 transceivers
(1) RF 60
(1) AF540 FGZ in HSS mode.

I have read somewhere in this forum where someone else had the same problem with getting everything to communicate, so he had to put a V6 on top of his AF540FGZ. Yikes!

The reason I invested in Cactus equipment was because it was compatible with Pentax as well as other brands, and I could also use old film flashes with it.

And by the way, I HAVE used the technique that 'Class A' described for using a Cactus RF60 / V6 with non dedicated equipment. I used that method several months ago with a cheapy Rokinon flash and a potato masher Sunpak. It worked, but it was just a little wonky and unreliable. I had to be very careful about waiting for the flash to cycle up and see if both V6s would flash green to see if they were communicating. The technique was about 60% effective, but at the time, it's all I had. This time, I have the AF540FGZ and was hoping for better results, or at least results. I did copy and pasted some notes from this forum about other methods people have used to get HSS working with Cactus equipment. I don't want to give up on Cactus quite yet. It's just I feel limited by what I can do with Pentax right now.

---------- Post added 05-18-16 at 11:11 PM ----------

I think any brand is going to be tough for you if you don't read manuals, Kay! ☺

I did read the manuals. Still no answers.

[mcgregni]

It's confusing, I agree. You cannot currently radio trigger with Cactus and HSS from a Pentax DSLR ... That's coming in the future MkII version of the V6.

You can optically trigger a Cactus RF60 from an on-camera dedicated system flash set to HS mode. Check out my 'Pentax and Cactus multi flash HSS Demo ' thread further down this forum for the full run down.

Or use the 'workarounds' extensively detailed on this forum also. The Acon triggers are the product that offers 'Radio P-TTL', and therefore remote radio HSS also. There are mixed reports on its success however. For now the optical triggering method seems most reliable ... Unless you need long distances or are fighting very bright sun then the optical method will be fine.

---------- Post added 19-05-16 at 08:13 ----------

Note ... You cannot use a Cactus RF60 on the camera to optically trigger a Pentax slave. ... The RF60 is not a dedicated system flash and the camera will not trigger the flash beyond max Sync' speed. Also only an on-camera dedicated system flash needs to be set to HSS ... Slaves do not.

[beholder3]

I have the AF540FGZ and was hoping for better results

That flash together with the Acons is really pretty much plug and play (nothing to set up; it's just a "cable") and works great with no messing around with weird instructions or special techniques.

Sell the Cactus thingies and try the Acons.