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11-13-2020, 12:07 PM   #16
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Sad news. My four Cactus V6II and two RF60X are excellent products and work well for me.

11-13-2020, 12:53 PM - 1 Like   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
I understand what you are saying and applaud your ability to build a three flash system + controller for less than the price of an AF540FGZII ($419 USD). That is not possible today on this side of the pond. Again, Pentax optical wireless and the 540 in particular is not the competition. I can build a three-flash + controller P-TTL using all Godox for under $400. Sorry for mentioning the "G" word, this thread being a funeral of sorts.



Yes! For those who are invested in or who have been building a Cactus-based kit, this is bad news indeed.


Steve

(...does not do radio wireless P-TTL...on-camera, optical wireless, or cabled are flaky enough...)
Thinking back, maybe the dealer knew Cactus were on the way out (mid 2019). The flashes were £140 and the transceivers were £60. I see recently they were a fair bit more costly than I had realised. The Pentax 540 was/is about £450. That probably explains the misunderstanding and exchange differences.
11-13-2020, 04:01 PM - 1 Like   #18
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Dang. I had a good start on a Cactus system I could work with.
11-13-2020, 04:57 PM - 1 Like   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by kthornsberry Quote
Dang. I had a good start on a Cactus system I could work with.
If it still works don't worry about it....

11-13-2020, 06:38 PM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by hjoseph7 Quote
If it still works don't worry about it....
Exactly, it isn't as if Cactus products will self-distruct if its manufacturer goes out of business.
11-13-2020, 07:19 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by hjoseph7 Quote
If it still works don't worry about it....
The problem is that the replacements may be hard to come by and new gear may not work with the items you have. It's not a disaster, but it is limiting.
11-13-2020, 07:35 PM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by mixalis_kalymnos1611 Quote
It’s always a bad thing when a brand leaves the market. Less competition, more or less expensive solutions.
At least in the domain of flashes, overall the market has gotten better for consumers. Companies like Cactus made it easier for people to get into flash photography without having to buy expensive (in my opinion, overpriced) flashes like the OEM flashes of Canon and Pentax. Now companies like Godox are making extremely cheap but functional flashes, eating into the markets that used to belong to the likes of Profoto.


But I agree it's sad about Cactus. They were a cool company, and I still regularly use my Cactus RF60 flash and pair of triggers.

11-14-2020, 02:21 AM   #23
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Oh well, that's one option to scratch off my future flash system list. Such a pity; they seem to be excellent products.

I wonder if being based in Hong Kong has anything to do with their demise. Things seem to be going downhill rapidly there.
11-14-2020, 07:29 AM   #24
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So, what is the wireless (not optical) option for Pentax now?
11-14-2020, 08:19 AM   #25
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Well, that's not nice. Another one bites the dust.


I have an original RF-60 and a pair of v6 transceivers that have been used in conjunction with a variety of other flash units with great results. I think the products they produced were excellent value and about as reliable as any I've had. Hate to see them go.
11-14-2020, 11:39 AM - 1 Like   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by texandrews Quote
So, what is the wireless (not optical) option for Pentax now?
Godox/Flashpoint or Phottix and probably others.


Steve
11-22-2020, 05:15 PM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by Paul the Sunman Quote
... I wonder if being based in Hong Kong has anything to do with their demise. Things seem to be going downhill rapidly there.
It may be related to Hong Kong's former duty status. Once the CCP abrogated the political agreement with the UK, I recall reading that the US moved HK into the same duty status as Mainland China. This could make the Cacti products too expensive to compete.
11-23-2020, 04:26 AM   #28
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I think the market for re-using legacy flashes might have dried up.

Cactus kind of operated in two markets:
1. Re-using legacy flashes where it pretty much was the only game in town;
2. Wireless trigger (and wider system) where it competed with the likes of Godox and others.

In this second market I think it's struggled and personally I much prefer Godox (more selection of lights and triggers and also lithium ion power).

At one point I owned three V6's. Now I'm down to one V6 II.

It's a pity they couldn't get backers for their Godox AD200 equivalent but it did seem overpriced.

Hopefully some company might be able to revive them.
11-23-2020, 11:02 AM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by kaseki Quote
I recall reading that the US moved HK into the same duty status as Mainland China. This could make the Cacti products too expensive to compete.
Except for specific "penalty" duties imposed in the last few years, China enjoys what has been called most-favored-nation status meaning that the same duties apply as for most other countries. I don't believe that photographic equipment was included in the punitive duties.


Steve
11-25-2020, 03:20 AM   #30
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I have two V6II units, and they're great! I've just checked out their website and there are no notifications. And can't find anything on Google either.
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