[bububob]

Hello,

my name is Ana. i'm new in the forum.

I have been using my Pentax 645z and been very happy with it, apart from the limiting flash system. So finally, I got the cactus V6II and Godox V860II.
But I'm just not managing to setting it up!
My goals are to use it in HSS over 125 (mounted on camera on top of the cactus) and if that works, i will get a second cactus to be able to do the same thing off camera flash.

I'm sorry if there's been already discussions about this, i just haven't been able to find information on how to set it up. i'd appreciate a step by step guide, as I'm not familiar with these products!

Thank you everyone!

Ana

[mcgregni]

Hello, the V6II cannot passthrough TTL or HSS for a flash on top of it unless the flash is a P-TTL dedicated system type flash. I don't think your Godox is that type.

Are you wanting on or off camera flash? Assuming on, then you do not need a trigger device .... Just get a P-TTL type flash .

[serothis]

Godox recently released a pentax trigger with TTL/HSS

Godox XProP TTL Wireless Flash Trigger for Pentax Cameras XPROP

You might have better luck with that.

[inkista]

Hi, Ana!

... I got the cactus V6II and Godox V860II.
But I'm just not managing to setting it up!
My goals are to use it in HSS over 125 (mounted on camera on top of the cactus) and if that works, i will get a second cactus to be able to do the same thing off camera flash.

That won't work. To get HSS, you're going to need a flash that does Pentax's HSS, and Godox at this time only has one that does it (the TT350-P mini speedlight which is very small and low-powered). Also the Cactus triggers don't work directly with Godox gear and vice versa. With flash triggering, the transmitter and receiver both have to be in the same triggering system to work; 2.4GHz isn't enough to make two systems compatible (e.g., wi-fi and bluetooth are both on 2.4GHz).

Use of Cactus and Godox together to get HSS is a bit more complex than what you're envisioning.

Godox's flashes are capable of TTL/HSS if it's a matching "flavor" where the pins and electronic communication of the flash foot match that of the camera hotshoe. But the built-in radio slave is capable of switching and doing TTL across all the Godox supported brands (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Olympus/Panasonic). And there's an interesting kind of loophole that if a non-Pentax Godox transmitter is stacked on top of a P-TTL/HSS compatible trigger (such as the Cactus V6II), then you can get HSS.

But right now, Godox is actually in the middle of rolling out Pentax support, so all the pieces aren't in place yet for TTL/HSS both on and off the hotshoe with Pentax gear. I'd recommend the three following scenarios as a way to get HSS with your camera:

1. Return the V860II, and get a Cactus RF60x. The Cactus RF60x has a built-in V6II transceiver, and can do P-TTL/HSS as a slave to a V6II used as your on-camera transmitter. The catch here is that the RF60x is a single-pin flash, so will be manual-only on the hotshoe, and will only do TTL/HSS as an off-camera slave.
   
2. Return the Cactus V6II, and get a Godox XPro-P transmitter. The non-Pentax V860II flashes cannot be used on-camera as a TTL/HSS light, but can switch between all the brands Godox supports to do TTL with a different-system transmitter. You will, however, also have to make sure the firmware on your V860II is up-to-date (the C.Fn menu will show the currently loaded firmware version). If you don't care about TTL or on-camera use, you may want to consider exchanging your V860II for the less-expensive V850II ($140) or TT600 ($65) (single-pin manual only, but does M power control and HSS as a radio slave).
   
3. Return both the V860II and the Cactus V6II; get a Godox XPro-P, and wait for the V860II-P to be released. At this time, Godox has not yet announced (let alone released) a TT685-P or V860II-P (which if they do happen will have a Pentax foot and be useable in TTL/HSS on the camera hotshoe as well as off-camera radio slaves/masters), but they have released the TT350-P TTL/HSS mini speedlight, and firmware updates for P-TTL compatibility for the non-P V860II models, which is a good indication they eventually will. But it may take a few months. Godox are also rumored to have a Profoto A1-clone in the works. And Flashpoint has announced a more refined version of the Xpro transmitter (Flashpoint R2 Pro II)

If you want a more detailed explanation of the Godox system, see Flash Havoc's overview.

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Last edited by inkista; 10-31-2018 at 02:20 PM.

[morenjavi]

Hello,

I think that, as you have yet the Cactus V6II, V860II and your camera at hand, you lost nothing if you check a possible setting. I think it can be possible to get HSS with your flash stacked on top of the V6II.

I don't have the 645z but the K3-II, but I think it's not so relevant. I tested a similar configuration than yours with a v850, that is really old compared with the v860II, but I can get HSS putting the V850 on top of the Cactus, and I think that if you can force HSS mode on your flash you could get HSS with any Godox flash stacked.


This is a possible setting that could work (V860II stacked on top of Cactus V6II, this is what I understood), very basic with all manual settings:


1. Get the multibrand HSS software for your Cactus V6II. I suggest to download the firmware v1.1.013, that is not the latest one.
2. Configure your cactus as:
* PENTAX camera
* Manual flash
* POWER SYNC
3. Configure your Godox flash as:
* Wireless mode OFF (I read on the manual that it's possible to do, this is important)
* Manual mode
* force HSS (again, there is a button to force it)

Put a speed above your sync speed and check if it works.

If it works, I could suggest maybe a most sophisticated configuration.

I don't know if you just want a flash on camera, or off camera, or can return your V860II or not. If the settings I recommend doesn't work, consider the good suggestions from inkista.

Good luck.

[mcgregni]

Oh come on guys, you're overcomplicating things ..... Why not just set a high ISO and use ND filters .....

[virusn3t]

As serothis said, Godox just release the XPRO-P Trigger for Pentax Cameras, if you adquire one, you just may only update the firmware on the 860II and you will have HSS (No TTL) im currently using the AD400 and AD200 with a Pentax K1, both work without hassle on HSS, in teory TTL is available but im not really made use of that feauture

Update, this is a small test i did for a small Pentax group in facebok, is in spanish (as is my primary language) but, show the HSS in use (both trigger and AD400 with the firmware they were released, the K1 with the lastest firmware)

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

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Last edited by virusn3t; 10-31-2018 at 03:25 PM.

[mcgregni]

Brooke, reading all that lot above I think I'd be tempted to give up flash altogether!

Hey, it's great that there is plenty of willing help here, and people able to offer solutions. I am starting to wonder though whether the fact that we now have so many more choices is leading people astray and to buy the wrong things..... Is it not the case still that the most obvious choice for a 645z user wanting an on camera flash is the Pentax AF-540FGZII .....?

---------- Post added 31-10-18 at 22:31 ----------

Why not?

Wait - high ISO?

Just my little joke 😜

[bububob]

Hi everyone!
First of all, thank you all so much for all the help.
I have now managed to make HSS work (no TTL) with cactus v6ii and the godox flash.
The settings were camera pentax, flash manual and manually activating HSS on the flash. These settings did not work with the multibrand cactus firmware, but seem to magically work when i changed the firware to the latest pentax one.

The reason why I bought this flash it’s cause it was the most affordable - powerful one I found that has a lithium battery (i reckon i could buy a profoto a1 with all the money I have spent on batteries in the past) plus the environmental factor of not using AA batteries made me think this flash was better!

I did have the pentax flash before and it literally lasted me a job, the thing just stopped working. So it made me lose trust on their flashes.

Still, despite making this work, im not happy, as after reading your replies I believe indeed i have bought the wrong kit 🤦🏻*♀️ And all these elements (i managed to get godox off camera adding my calumet pro radio transmitters one on top of cactus and one on the flash, so no need of another cactus ) BUT these are just making this camera even heavier and my back is already aching at the idea of working a whole day with it.

So, not having a camera flash is really not an option as i need it for work often. But will most likely upgrade if that P-TTL godox flash with HSS shows up.

My question now is, will the godox transmiter instead of the cactus v6ii achieve HSS with my pentax and, will this mean i dont need to add an extra radio transmitter on top of the cactus and another for the flash, but just that godox one on the camera end and none on the flash? (Every little thing i can do for my back helps!!)

Thank you everyone!!

Ana

[morenjavi]

My question now is, will the godox transmiter instead of the cactus v6ii achieve HSS with my pentax and, will this mean i dont need to add an extra radio transmitter on top of the cactus and another for the flash, but just that godox one on the camera end and none on the flash? (Every little thing i can do for my back helps!!)

Yes, a considerable amount of Pentax users have tested the new Xpro-P and this trigger is working fine. You should get HSS and PTTL with your V860II (for PTTL you need the last firmware on your V860II). I'm sure several forum users should have exactly this configuration, that is a V860II and a XproP working fine, and can confirm that.

Even before the developing of the Xpro for Pentax, it was possible to get HSS on Godox flashes with very basic Godox triggers (like XT16), just stacking the Godox trigger on top of a Cactus V6II (very long to explain here all the possible cases and options). Now we have the XproP and this is not necessary, and it's easier.

As you will have the Godox trigger on your camera's hot shoe, surely you will need a bracket to put your flash 'on camera'.

Regards.

[mcgregni]

We've been there and back recently ....https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/125-flashes-lighting-studio/369828-do-yo...od-sphere.html

After not taking the advice for quite a while, the OP tried it all and then decided that a dedicated system flash directly on the camera hotshoe was ideal.

[bububob]

gosh, forgot the godox trigger doesn't have the hotshoe for a flash on top. it feels all so complicated! i'm guessing a bracket is going to be the same amount of weight as the cactusv6ii, or even more!
does godox do any triggers with hotshoe on them perhaps?

[mcgregni]

I think the issue is that it's too easy to jump ahead straight to all the juicy gear, but missing the considerations of practical application ie real world photography and the shooting environment. I believe that both of these aspects should be thought through first before thinking about the flash system types and specific products that are suited.

This means choices about TTL vs Manuel as well as on or off camera questions.

Despite Godox adding Pentax TTL support recently, we are not yet in a place where one type of flash system provides solutions for all photographic situations.

I'd start by telling us exactly what you will shooting and in what kind of situations.

[bububob]

Hi Mcgregni,

I agree with you. I think i got the wrong piece of kit. I feel Pentax is actually quite an obscure system to navigate in all fairness, due to the lack of lighting options perhaps? I also own Canon system and don't find myself posting in forums asking these sort of questions!

So, having said that, the usage is on and off camera flash (not to be put on a tripod, I own profoto B2's for that), but just to be hand held around the camera to create different type of shadows around the subject. My priority is for this to be as light as possible, as I wouldn't use this lighting in studio, but more on location and when I have no assistants around, also for travel jobs..

Hope that clarifies a bit my intentions!

thanks everyone again!

Ana Cuba

[inkista]

... does godox do any triggers with hotshoe on them perhaps?

Yes (the X1T transmitter), but they haven't even announced a Pentax version, and it could be they're not going to make one, now that the XPro has been released (the other X1T transmitters all came out before the XPro and the two are often perceived as the old/new versions of the trigger; the Xpro's UI/UX is much better). They probably figure that with a TT685-P or V860II-P, no one would ever need an X1T-P [eyeroll]. That aside, the hotshoe on top of the X1T isn't actually a full passthrough TTL hotshoe; it's more a slave in Group A (yeah, I know. Enough to make you tear your hair out) and doesn't do the cross-brand thing the Cactus V6II is so good at.

Pentax users are caught between a rock and a hard place at the moment since Godox hasn't yet created all the pieces of the system for P-TTL use, so at the moment there are still a lot of scenarios with no solution, yet. Yours (on-camera HSS) is one of them. They're concentrating on the bits where they make the most money (off-camera with TTL/HSS studio strobes) first, and will eventually get down to the on-camera one. But most folks buy their stuff for the off-camera radio triggering so that's where their concentration is, and they haven't quite sussed on-camera usage for event pros. Elv (the author of Flash Havoc) has been trying to tell them this for years, and we're hoping the rumored round-headed speedlight is an indication that they listened.

Hopefully, a V860II-P will be announced soon. I think that's your best bet if you want to get into the Godox system for off-camera as well as on. But in the meantime, finding a used Pentax P-TTL/HSS speedlight may be your best option. When I went Godox, I still kept a single Canon 580EXII for my 5DMkII in case I need to event shoot.