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11-13-2020, 07:40 AM   #1
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Cactus are soon to be no more, sadly ...

From Cactus support:

Cactus is going to leave the camera equipment market. After the existing stock is sold out, there will be no more to sell in the market. The UK distributors and resellers therefore have stopped stocking Cactus items for a while. We are sorry about that.


And for us, as there are V6iis (ie Sony versions around):

The V6 IIs comes with the Sony dedicated hot shoe that will not work fully with speedlights of other brands (with the standard ISO hot shoe). However, the central pin of the V6 IIs and the ISO-compatible hot shoe mount will still be able to trigger those flashes in manual mode. In short, you can use the V6 IIs as the RX for Pentax/Canon/Nikon flashes, but it just supports bare triggering. You cannot remotely adjust the power level of the flashes, nor would the HSS and TTL functions be supported.

For me I was thinking of getting a backup (for a backup) of the Sony version as I only use manual mode and I could keep my Cactus system going, replacing and/or extending with other brands of flash using the V6iis in Rx/manual mode. However, I found a non-Sony version as an ex-demo and have ordered that. The non-Sony versions are proving to be difficult to source, now.

Sad, as the Cactus system is just about perfect for me. I've several of their flash units and (now) transceivers and they work seamlessly. Pity ...


Last edited by BarryE; 11-13-2020 at 08:14 AM.
11-13-2020, 07:51 AM   #2
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This is very sad needs for me.
11-13-2020, 08:13 AM   #3
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I have three of the V6II - they are terrific units.
Too bad news really. Thank you for sharing the info
11-13-2020, 08:24 AM   #4
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Really sad and thanks for the info.
Maybe I should get one more of their transceivers as I am able to use my Godox AD600 BM in HSS mode with them.

11-13-2020, 08:47 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by BarryE Quote
From Cactus support:
Is this an official statement from Cactus or from a dealer or distributor? Just wondering.

- Craig
11-13-2020, 09:07 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by c.a.m Quote
Is this an official statement from Cactus or from a dealer or distributor? Just wondering.

- Craig
I contacted Cactus directly from their website. The reply came from: cs@cactus-image.com. So it looks like it's going to happen...
11-13-2020, 09:11 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by BarryE Quote
I contacted Cactus directly from their website. The reply came from: cs@cactus-image.com. So it looks like it's going to happen...
Thanks. That's a major piece of news.

Edit: The wording in the reply seems odd: "Cactus is going to leave the camera equipment market." Is Cactus involved in any market other than 'camera equipment' (I didn't think so) to which they would change focus, or does this suggest that they are going out of business completely?

I did a quick search online, but could not find any other mention of a change in their business situation. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
- Craig


Last edited by c.a.m; 11-13-2020 at 10:19 AM.
11-13-2020, 09:40 AM   #8
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Companies start going out of business... these days...
I have a lot of great Cactus gear - others were cheaper, but also looked and felt cheap.
11-13-2020, 10:15 AM   #9
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It's brutal out there ! Whenever a manufacturer comes out with an innovative solution, another one copies/re-engineers their accomplishment and sells it at a cheaper price. Its analogous to having three barber-shops on the same block.
11-13-2020, 10:19 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by hjoseph7 Quote
It's brutal out there ! Whenever a manufacturer comes out with an innovative solution, another one copies/re-engineers their accomplishment and sells it at a cheaper price. Its analogous to having three barber-shops on the same block.
Nobody reverse-engineered Cactus product. They were simply too expensive as competing systems came on line.


Steve
11-13-2020, 10:44 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
Nobody reverse-engineered Cactus product. They were simply too expensive as competing systems came on line.


Steve
I don't disagree, Steve, but isn't it strange that you/we can write something like "... they were simply too expensive... ", when they are £150 ish, rather than £500 plus for a Pentax 540 - and the Cactus has much more flexibility.

When I came across Cactus I bought 3 flashes for the price of a 540, I left the store thinking this is good. Then I used them and thought this is in fact very, very good. I was not thinking expensive. The strange and painful world of global competition ...
11-13-2020, 11:07 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by BarryE Quote
strange that you/we can write something like "... they were simply too expensive... ", when they are £150 ish
The Pentax AF560FGZII is not their competition. It is primarily an on-camera flash, something Cactus does not offer for P-TTL here in the U.S. I don't know about the UK, but $185 USD only buys an RF60x speedlight. Fleshing out the system to include the required V6ii controller adds another $95 USD and I still don't have direct on-camera P-TTL. That is not a big deal unless one prices similar functionality from the "other brand" option where $200 gets you both controller and flash.

Addendum: I understand that the Cactus solution has been very useful to many here on PF, but for others of us, it never penciled out.


Steve

Last edited by stevebrot; 11-13-2020 at 11:16 AM.
11-13-2020, 11:25 AM - 1 Like   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
The Pentax AF560FGZII is not their competition. It is primarily an on-camera flash, something Cactus does not offer for P-TTL here in the U.S. I don't know about the UK, but $185 USD only buys an RF60x speedlight. Fleshing out the system to include the required V6ii controller adds another $95 USD and I still don't have direct on-camera P-TTL. That is not a big deal unless one prices similar functionality from the "other brand" option where $200 gets you both controller and flash.


Steve
But, last year I bought 3 flash units and one transceiver, to give me a TTL/HSS 3 flash system for less than one AF540FGZII. I had a AF540FGZII, for which I bought another transceiver to give me a 4 flash system. Only needing one transceiver on the camera communicating with each Cactus flash, means the transceiver cost is spread out.

So, yes, not directly, comparable, but in some ways better and much cheaper as a system than building it around a 4 flash Pentax version and its optical (rather than wireless) system.

The 540 is more robust, weather proof and probably more accurate, but the much cheaper Cactus units are robust enough to have taken falls from head height onto tiled floors with no issues. I know I'd have sweated more if it had been the Pentax flash that had fallen over.

Last edited by BarryE; 11-13-2020 at 12:46 PM.
11-13-2020, 11:28 AM   #14
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It’s always a bad thing when a brand leaves the market. Less competition, more or less expensive solutions.
11-13-2020, 11:51 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by BarryE Quote
So, yes, not directly, comparable, but in some ways better and much cheaper as a system than building it around a 4 flash Pentax version and its optical (rather than wireless) system.
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.

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.
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...)

Last edited by stevebrot; 11-13-2020 at 11:58 AM.
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