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Cactus V6 Flash Compatibility -- Profiling Successes and Failures
Posted By: Class A, 05-13-2014, 08:34 AM

If you have successfully profiled a TTL flash with the V6, please post about it here.

Information whether remote control of power levels is working is welcome for all flash systems supported (Canon, Nikon, and Pentax) and any flash brand.

If you attempted to profile a flash and it did not work, please post about it here as well. Preferably, elaborate what the hurdle was (e.g., did not test as compatible, did not recycle quickly enough, ...).

I'll updated this first post regularly so that it will stay a summary of the experiences. Hence it will be easy to see which flash models are the awkward ones that refuse to play with the V6. I cannot image there will be many models that won't work, but let's see.

Compatible: (in addition to the predefined profiles; see the review for the original list of predefined profiles)
  • Pentax AF200T
    (the respective profile may also be used for the AF280T which on its own does not support profiling due to the lack of a sufficient number of manual levels.)

Don't Work:

Last edited by Class A; 09-30-2015 at 10:44 AM.
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05-29-2014, 09:00 PM   #16
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i can confirm the sigma 610 dg super does NOT work for profiling unfortunately.

05-29-2014, 11:34 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by chickenandavocado Quote
i can confirm the sigma 610 dg super does NOT work for profiling unfortunately.
Too bad.

But thanks for sharing!
05-30-2014, 01:31 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
Thanks a lot for sharing; I think I'll have to somehow summarise this for inclusion in the overview (and point to the details here).
Think for sanity you should go for

Metz 45 CT4 sca300a + sca311 = NO
Metz 45 Digital sca3045 + sca 3402m6 = YES (with care)
Metz 45 Digital sca3045 + sca 3102m3 = YES
Metz 45 Digital sca3045 + SCA 3702M = profiling possible but inaccurate not recommended
Metz 45 Digital sca3045 + SCA 3702M3 = profiling possible but inaccurate not recommended

Metz 54mz3 + sca3702M = YES
Metz 54mz3 + SCA702M3 = NO
Metz 54mz3 + sca3402M6 = YES
Metz 54mz3 + sca3102M3 = YES

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/125-flashes-lighting-studio/261793-cactus...#ixzz33BZGy1oL
05-30-2014, 08:45 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by awaldram Quote
Think for sanity you should go for
I'm sure there is some method to the madness with all these gadget codes, but without knowing it, it seems hard to believe that sanity can be maintained.

QuoteOriginally posted by awaldram Quote
Metz 45 Digital sca3045 + sca 3402m6 = YES (with care)
What do you mean by "with care"?

QuoteOriginally posted by awaldram Quote
Metz 45 Digital sca3045 + SCA 3702M = profiling possible but inaccurate not recommended
What makes it inaccurate?
Does this combination provide too few manual levels for calibration?

I guess it doesn't matter to you (since you can use the sca 3102m3), but for anyone not having the sca 3102m3 option, it may be worth trying a predefined profile (e.g., Metz 58 AF-2). Given the current profiling approach with very few levels, using such a "wrong" profile can give better results than one's own profiling attempts.

N.B., if you wanted to, you could share your very useful results at the respective thread of the new Cactus Support Community Forum.

05-31-2014, 10:17 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
I'm sure there is some method to the madness with all these gadget codes, but without knowing it, it seems hard to believe that sanity can be maintained.


What do you mean by "with care"?
you have to have the 3402 swicthed to a mode that allows it to work, theres a little switch on the right side marked 'ON' and it needs to be off

QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
What makes it inaccurate?
Does this combination provide too few manual levels for calibration?


I guess it doesn't matter to you (since you can use the sca 3102m3), but for anyone not having the sca 3102m3 option, it may be worth trying a predefined profile (e.g., Metz 58 AF-2). Given the current profiling approach with very few levels, using such a "wrong" profile can give better results than one's own profiling attempts.

N.B., if you wanted to, you could share your very useful results at the respective thread of the new Cactus Support Community Forum.
Whether you use a predifined 'metz' prifle or 'create' one the following happens

on switch on if you have 1:1 selected flash fires 1:1

you can then got down to 1:128 and you can see the flash reducing but when you come back up again flash level do not get progeicley brighter to the same level and @ 1:1 power is considerably reduced to what full power shoudl look like you can even hear that the flash is being squalched early

the 45 Digital has 5 manual settings from 1:1 to 1:32 the metz 53 has 8 from 1:1 to 1:256

Last edited by awaldram; 05-31-2014 at 10:26 AM.
06-01-2014, 04:15 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by awaldram Quote
you have to have the 3402 swicthed to a mode that allows it to work, theres a little switch on the right side marked 'ON' and it needs to be off
Thanks for clarifying this.

QuoteOriginally posted by awaldram Quote
you can then got down to 1:128 and you can see the flash reducing but when you come back up again flash level do not get progeicley brighter to the same level and @ 1:1 power is considerably reduced to what full power shoudl look like you can even hear that the flash is being squalched early
That doesn't sound too good.

I don't know whether the V6 actually quenches a flash at 1/1 power. It wouldn't really make sense if it did. Perhaps this is some odd behaviour from the flash?

Does it make sense to report the combination as working?
Is there still sufficient accuracy left?
06-03-2014, 01:59 AM - 1 Like   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
Thanks for clarifying this.


That doesn't sound too good.

I don't know whether the V6 actually quenches a flash at 1/1 power. It wouldn't really make sense if it did. Perhaps this is some odd behaviour from the flash?

Does it make sense to report the combination as working?
Is there still sufficient accuracy left?
No I don't think its 'working' I also think its a 'Pentax/Metz' issue as I see similar issue with the 45 Digital and K3 with the 3702M3 (mostly in hss) , There is supposed to be an M4 in the pipeline to address these issues.

the 3702m3 works with the K5/kx series of bodies and I only saw issue with the k3 and now Cactus V6's

It as if the head get in some 'mode' that doesn't work properly , powering off the flash and back on restores operation, It doesn't occur with either the 3102 or 3402

06-03-2014, 02:57 AM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by awaldram Quote
It as if the head get in some 'mode' that doesn't work properly , powering off the flash and back on restores operation, ...
Yes, sounds like it.

Thanks a lot for your very informative post.
06-16-2014, 01:18 AM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by maxfield_photo Quote
...I choose to input the GN as 75 ...or rather I would have, except the V6 only allows the user to input guide numbers up to 70, so I did that instead.
I just noticed firmware upgrade V1.0.156 has been made available.

The maximum GN is now 80.
07-07-2014, 05:41 AM   #25
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I've just tested the Centon FG105D (for Pentax).

I did not have much hope because even though it features analogue TTL, it requires communication with the camera. It cannot even be fired by a simple trigger like the Cactus V5 or on another non-Pentax camera.

I had to modify my copy to make it triggerable with a radio trigger.
07-23-2014, 05:25 PM - 1 Like   #26
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Successfully profiled a Pixel X-650 E-TTL flash (for Canon). This is a GN60 (@105mm) flash that goes down to 1/128 (in 1/3 increments), zooms to 200mm and has a 360 degree swivel... plus it was $57 with shipping when I ordered it, but has since gone up to $67! (Not to be confused with the HSS-capable models for $196)

EDIT: never mind - the profile stopped working today, and will only fire at 1/128 power. I don't think this is a Cactus fault, but rather a defective flash. I can manually set all the levels, but TTL only produces a very low-power flash. Plus, at one point the zoom head starting moving, so there is some serious miscommunication going on with this Pixel flash!

Sadly, Pixel support indicates this is a v.1 flash with firmware that will never be updated (only the X-650C will be), so "caveat emptor."

Last edited by panoguy; 07-24-2014 at 08:13 AM.
07-29-2014, 07:56 AM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by panoguy Quote
...never mind - the profile stopped working today, and will only fire at 1/128 power.
The profile worked before, though, right?

I'm wondering whether there is compatibility in principle and your flash has somehow developed a fault, or whether the profile never worked as intended.

N.B., the comments regarding the related Pixel Mago are not encouraging either. It seems that there a lot of issues still to fix in the firmware. For this model, one can expect Pixel to provide a better firmware, but I'm a bit shocked about the basic nature of the issues and of course it is unknown when they will be able to fix them all.
07-29-2014, 11:53 AM   #28
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QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
The profile worked before, though, right?
Yes, although I didn't test it thoroughly with a meter, etc. Basically I profiled it, then started controlling it from another V6, and everything seemed to work well. A day later (and thereafter) I put it on the same V6, with the custom profile still selected, and it won't go over the bare minimum power... no matter what the V6 underneath it says. Not terribly surprised, as it's both cheap and very new, but I would expect better for the more capable, and up-dateable "Mago" version.

The X-650 still works as a manual flash, but the lack of control from the V6 pretty much defeats the purpose of using it for me. Maybe it will work fine on a Canon body in E-TTL, but for my Pentax setup with V6's, I can get an RF-60 and be done with the screwing around... even if it did seem like a great, cheap solution at the time.

I will say that Pixel has gotten the build quality and recycle time quite right, besting a Yongnuo and my older Metz flashes. "The devil is in the firmware," as they say!
07-30-2014, 11:38 AM   #29
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In case anyone has issues with Yongnuo YN560III, the Manual flash profile may not work, I got the thing firing after days thanks to class A who suggested using Nikon sb24 profile, that works
07-30-2014, 11:42 AM - 1 Like   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by Neo_ Quote
In case anyone has issues with Yongnuo YN560III, the Manual flash profile may not work, I got the thing firing after days thanks to class A who suggested using Nikon sb24 profile, that works
Alternatively, upgrading the firmware to at least V1.0.156 should work. The latter changed the way the manual flash profile works.

If you upgrade to V1.0.173 then you get two more features: "group cycling" and "dial lock".
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