User Manual Wireless Flash Transceiver V6
Table of Contents 1. Getting to Know the Cactus V6 4 2. Cautions and Warnings 7 3. Major Specifications 8 4. Package Contents 9 5. Nomenclature 10 6. LCD Panel 12 7. Compatibility 13 8. TTL Pass-through 17 9. Getting Started 19 10. Flash Profile: Choosing, Learning, and Copying 29 11. Flash Triggering 37 12.
13. Camera Shutter Release 49 14. Advanced Operations 54 15. Personalizing the V6 59 16. Working with Cactus Gear 63 17. LED Signal Guide 68 18. USB Connection 69 19. Optional Accessories 71 20. Troubleshooting 72 21. Notices 78 22.
1. Getting to Know the Cactus V6 Thank you for purchasing the Cactus Wireless Flash Transceiver V6. The Cactus V6 is a multifunctional wireless flash transceiver that allows you to command different brands’ flashes off camera with remote power control. You can position your lights at any angle, direction, and distance — the possibilities are endless! 1.1 Special Features 1. Wireless manual power control of a list of current and previous Canon, Nikon, and Pentax flashes. 2.
7. Built-in optical trigger enables pre-flash triggering. 8. Group control allows you to control up to four groups. 9. Relay mode triggers the camera shutter and flash in sync. 10. Delay timer is configurable from 1 millisecond to 10 seconds. 11. Mini-USB port for optional power supply and firmware updates. 1.2 Cactus V6 Core Each flash model has its individual power level characteristics.
Whether built-in or obtained from the learning program, the flash profile stored in the V6 can virtually command the flash to produce ANY power level within the maximum output, and even exceeds what the flash menu allows you to do: 1. Finer increment scales: The V6 can adjust the power level of flash to 1/10 EV step, a much finer increment level than the flash menu itself allows (see Section 12.3 for setting up the EV step). 2.
2. Cautions and Warnings Before using your V6, read the following safety precautions to ensure correct and safe use: 1. Turn OFF all your equipment (e.g., Cactus units, flash units, cameras, etc.) before changing batteries or making connections. Observe the correct polarity when changing batteries. There is a danger of explosion if the batteries are installed incorrectly. 2. Switch off the transceiver and remove batteries during storage. 3.
3. Major Specifications • • • • • • • • • • • • Working radio frequency: 2.4 GHz Number of channels: 16 Number of groups: 4 Support sync speed up to 1/1,000 second (subject to camera’s sync speed limitation) Maximum effective distance: 100 meters Operating temperature: -20°C to +50°C Camera voltage handling: up to 6V Flash voltage handling: up to 300V Dimensions: 72mm (L) x 72mm (W) x 42 mm (H) Weight: 68g Power input: 2 x AA battery, 3V, 50mA, 0.15W; mini USB 2.
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MULTI-SYSTEM SHOE (MALE) TRIPOD MOUNT HOT SHOE LOCK LEVER SELECTION DIAL BATTERY DOOR OK BUTTON MENU BUTTON LED STATUS INDICATOR
6. LCD Panel 6.1 TX mode BATTERY INDICATOR CHANNEL GROUP POWER LEVEL POWER LEVEL INCREMENT 6.
7. Compatibility The Cactus V6 is both a wireless flash trigger and wireless remote control. While it triggers both portable flashes and studio strobe lights, it also supports remote control features with selected flash models. 7.1 Flash & Studio Strobes 7.1.1 Cactus RF60 With the built-in Cactus V6 module, the Cactus RF60 can be remotely commanded and triggered by V6 TX (see Section 16.1.1). 7.1.
FLASH SYSTEM FLASH MODEL CANON CACTUS AF45C, AF50C; CANON 320EX, 420EX, 430EX*, 430EZ, 540EZ, 580EX*, 600EX-RT; GODOX V860C; METZ 36AF-5, 44AF-1, 50AF-1, 52AF-1, 58AF-1, 58AF-2; NISSIN Di866 MARK II, MG8000; PHOTTIX MITROS; SIGMA EF-500 DG SUPER; YONGNUO YN568EX*; NIKON CACTUS AF45N, AF50N; METZ 36AF-5, 44AF-1, 50AF-1, 58AF-2; NIKON SB-24, SB-28, SB-600, SB-700, SB-800, SB-900, SB-910; NISSIN Di700, Di866; SIGMA EF-530 DG SUPER; PENTAX CACTUS AF45P, AF50P; METZ 36AF-5, 44AF-1, 50AF-1, 58AF-2; PENT
Canon, i-TTL or i-TTL BL from Nikon, or P-TTL from Pentax), their flash profiles may be learned and remotely controlled by the Cactus V6. 7.1.4 Other Flash Models and Studio Strobes The Cactus V6 triggers all other flash models via the hot shoe, and studio strobes with the PC sync male port, 3.5mm or 6.35mm port via optional cables (see Section 19). This includes high trigger voltage portable flash models, and all strobe models with a trigger voltage of 300V or under.
To use the V6 as a wireless shutter release, specific shutter cables are required. For the list of optional accessories, see Section 19. 7.3 Flash Triggers 7.3.1 Cactus V5 and LV5 The Cactus V6 is compatible with the Wireless Flash Transceiver V5 and Laser Trigger LV5. See Section 16.2 for details. 7.3.2 Other Flash Triggers The Cactus V6 is NOT compatible with any other flash trigger model, including the Cactus V2, Cactus V2s, and Cactus V4.
8. TTL Pass-through The V6 transceiver comes with a multi-system shoe that supports TTL pass-through. While the V6 does not transmit TTL signal wirelessly, it is designed to pass TTL signal from camera to flash via the transmitter (TX) and vice versa. The multi-system shoe supports TTL pass-through of Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, and Pentax systems. Make sure that camera and flash unit belong to the same TTL system.
AF assist light, second curtain sync, high speed sync/FP shutter) provided by the TTL flash system. To enable TTL pass-through in the V6 TX, press and hold for 2 seconds. The LCD will show the TTL pass-through indicator at the left bottom corner where the channel indicator used to be. In TTL pass-through mode, the V6 TX cannot control the power level of the flash attached. To disable the TTL pass-through mode, press and hold for 2 seconds.
9. Getting Started 9.1 Installing the Batteries Open the battery door by pushing it backward. Flip open the latch and insert two AA batteries using the correct polarities. Then close the battery door by pushing it to the front. 9.2 Attaching to and Detaching from the Camera UNLOCK LOCK To mount the V6 on a camera’s hot shoe mount: 1. Turn the lock lever of the V6 to the left to unlock the multi-system shoe (male). 2. Slide the V6 into the camera’s hot shoe.
3. Turn the lock lever of the V6 to the right to lock the multi-system shoe (male). 4. When detaching the V6 from the camera’s hot shoe, turn the lock lever to the left to unlock the multi-system shoe (male). Otherwise, the multi-system shoe (male) may be damaged. Note: Attach your flash to the V6 as you would to the camera’s hot shoe.
Major functions of the V6 listed below are easily accessible by the buttons and dial. Group Control (see Section 9.6) Function Mode LCD Key Select a group (e.g., group A) for adjusting parameters (power level / zoom) Main screen, Hold* when the group is not selected Deselect a group (e.g., group A) Main screen, when the group is selected Main screen, when the group is not selected Main screen Turn on / off a group (e.g., group A) RX Test firing a group (e.g.
Adjusting Power Level and Zoom (see Sections 12.1 and 16.1) Function Mode LCD Adjust power level of all groups Main screen Adjust power level of a single group (e.g., group A) Main screen Adjust power level of the Master flash Key + Hold then TX Main screen Quick power adjustment Main screen Zoom (Cactus) mode (needs configuration in menu beforehand) Main screen + Navigating the Menu (see Section 9.
TTL Pass-through / Flash Lock (see Sections 8 and 10.1) Function Mode Enter / leave TTL pass-through mode TX Unlock the slave flash RX LCD Key Main screen Hold Main screen Hold Dial Lock (see Section 15.2) Function Mode Lock the dial Temporarily unlock the dial LCD Key Main screen, Hold when the dial is unlocked TX Unlock the dial Main screen, when the dial is locked Main screen, Hold when the dial is locked Firmware (see Section 18.
9.4 Choosing the Operating Mode 9.5 Setting the Channel The Cactus V6 is a wireless transceiver that is capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals. Set the V6 transceivers to the correct mode (transmitter to “TX”, receiver to “RX”) by sliding the mode switch to the correct position. This will automatically power on the transceivers. The Cactus V6 transceivers communicate with each other via radio frequency. There are 16 channels available.
9.6 Setting and Selecting the Group The group function in the V6 can assign RXs into Group A, B, C, or D, and allows you to choose which group(s) to fire from the TX unit. 1. All V6 transceivers must be set to the same channel. 2. Assign RX units to Groups A, B, C, or D by pressing one of the group buttons. Each RX can only be assigned to ONE group. The LED of the selected group will turn on. 3. Command the TX to fire any combination of groups by pressing the group button(s).
5. Pressing the group button(s) of activated groups again on the V6 TX will turn off the group(s). The V6 RX units that have been set to the off group(s) will not fire. 6. The V6 will memorize the group selection in both TX and RX when it is switched off. Next time you switch on the V6 it will start up with the saved setting. 9.7 Navigating the Menu There are a number of configurable menu options in the V6. To change a menu option: 1. Press to bring up the first menu item. 2.
Menu item CHANNEL OPTICAL SLAVE RELAY DELAY Lo POWER POWER MODE EV STEP FLASH SETUP COPY FLASH SETUP CHOOSE PROFILE GROUP SEQUENCE SUB-MENU Option 1-16 OFF S1 FIRST FLASH S2 MAIN FLASH OFF ON OFF SET OFF ON RELATIVE ABSOLUTE 1/10 1/3 1/2 SKIP COPY PROFILE START LEARNING SKIP START MANUAL CANON NIKON PENTAX LEARNED* OFF A-B-C-D AB-CD PRESS OK TO SET *when available Applicable modes TX RX √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
The following configuration items are grouped under the “sub-menu”.
10. Flash Profile: Choosing, Learning, and Copying The V6 transceiver commands flashes to fire at a particular output via flash profiles. There are three ways to obtain the correct flash profiles: 1. Choose from the pre-installed flash profiles in the V6. 2. Learn a custom flash profile using the V6. 3. Copy the learned profiles from another V6. 10.
5. Connect the flash unit to the V6. Switch your flash to TTL mode and your flash will be ready for remote control. The chosen flash profile will be applied until you choose another flash profile. In case you wish to fire and control an on-camera master flash via the V6 TX, follow steps 2-4 above in TX mode to choose the appropriate flash profile for the master flash. Note: Once the flash profile has taken control of the flash, it may lock up the control panel of some Nikon flash models.
10.2 Learning a Custom Flash Profile If your flash models are not included in the pre-installed profile list but support Analogue TTL, use the V6 to learn the flash profiles. Make sure that your flashes are eligible for the V6 flash profile learning program (see Section 7.1.3). 1. Switch on one of your V6s in RX mode. 2. Set up your flash on the V6 multi-system shoe (female). Position the V6 together with your flash facing a white, matte surface at a distance of 1 meter in a dark environment.
3. Press and then turn the selection dial to . Press . 4. Turn the selection dial to . Press again. 5. Choose the correct flash system. Press . 6. The LCD screen will show , with the option being selected. 7. Set your flash to the TTL mode and the maximum zoom level. Press . 8. The V6 will test fire the flash twice and determine whether the flash is eligible for the flash learning program.
shows the maximum guide number (in meters) of your flash. Press . 10. The LCD screen will then show with a highlighted option . Switch your flash to Manual mode at 1/2 power and press . The V6 will trigger your flash a few times as it learns, while showing on the LCD screen. 11. Once the program has finished learning 1/2 power, the LCD will then show . The procedure will repeat until the program has finished learning to 1/128 power. 12.
14. When the learning is finished, the LCD screen will show . Enter a profile name with 1-6 letters or numbers. Please enter a unique profile name that has not been used in other custom profiles. Turn the selection dial to choose from A-Z and 0-9 and press for every character selected. 15. Then the LCD screen will show . The flash profile learning is completed. To choose the saved flash profile from the profile list, see Section 10.1.
Notes: 1. Not all flash profiles can be learned by the V6 even though they might fulfill the requirements provided in Section 7.1.3. 2. Always install fresh batteries to the flash when starting the flash profile learning. 10.3 Copying Custom Flash Profiles Once you have finished learning a number of flash profiles with one V6, you may copy all the custom flash profiles to other V6 units. 1. Set all the V6 units to the same channel. 2.
3. Switch on the V6 destination unit(s) in RX mode. Press , and turn the selection dial to . Press and turn the dial to . Press . The LCD screen will show . 4. On the V6 source unit, press to confirm . 5. The V6 units will start copying the flash profiles. 6. When the flash profiles are all copied to the V6 destination units, the source V6 unit will show while the destination V6 units will show on the LCD screen.
11. Flash Triggering To command the flash units in different groups to fire: 1. Set the V6 transceivers to the correct mode (transmitter to “TX”, receiver to “RX”). This will automatically power on the transceivers (see Section 9.4). 2. Set both TX and RX to the same channel (see Section 9.5). 3. Assign RX unit(s) to A, B, C, or D group and activate the group(s) on the TX (see Section 9.6). 4. Connect the V6 RX to portable flashes or studio strobes. 5. On the TX, press completely.
8. Press the camera’s shutter release button. The flashes on the RXs will fire wirelessly and in sync. Tips: The V6 transceiver can trigger portable flashes with or without remote power control. If you wish to wirelessly trigger the slave flashes without controlling their power levels, choose the flash system in the menu.
12. Remote Manual Power Control Apart from flash triggering, the V6 can also command the manual power of your flash. On each RX, choose the appropriate flash profile for each flash to be connected. The V6 TX will then be able to command the flash to fire from 1/128 to 1/1 full power. V6 offers two power definitions for users to command the flashes’ power in the most convenient way. To remotely control the power of your flash units: 1. Connect the flash units to the V6. 2.
show the relative power levels of all activated groups. Note that the small single digit indicates the increment between major power levels. 12.1.1 Single Group Power Adjustment There are two ways to adjust the power level of a particular slave group. 1. Press and hold the group button until the power level of the chosen group is highlighted on the LCD. Turn the selection dial to the desired power level. Press shortly the group button to leave the group selection. 2.
You may also adjust the power level of the master flash that you have mounted on the V6 TX multi-system shoe (female). 1. Make sure that the TTL pass-through mode has not been activated (see Section 8). 2. Press and turn the selection dial simultaneously to change the power level of the master flash. 12.1.2 Multi-Group Power Adjustment To adjust the power level of ALL active groups, simply turn the selection dial left or right to the desired power level.
Section 12.3). If you wish to quickly change the power level using a larger interval, use the quick power adjustment mode. 1. In the main screen of the V6 in TX mode, press once to enter the quick power adjustment mode. 2. In this mode, each click of the dial will increase or decrease the power level for 1EV to and from the original value respectively. For example, if the power level of a group was 1/16 +3, one click of the selection dial will increase the power level to 1/8 +3 or decrease it to 1/32 +3.
as “1/4” or “1/8” may not be as helpful. The output of one powerful flash model at “1/8” can be higher than that of another, weaker flash model at “1/4.” For this reason, the V6 offers an “absolute power” mode in which EV numbers can be used to specify an absolute light intensity, independent of the maximum power output of a flash model. The power levels in guide number have been rescaled to the absolute power scheme in EV as below: ABSOLUTE LIGHT INTENSITY IN EV GUIDE NUMBERS (IN METERS) +0.0 +0.
When setting up the absolute power mode, the V6 TX will collect the flash profiles being selected by the RX units in the same channel and rescale them to the unified light intensity scale. The following example shows how the model-specific relative power scales are translated into the absolute power scale.
When you set all flashes to 11 EV (see italicized section in the above table) in absolute power mode, all flashes will emit the same intensity of light notwithstanding the differences in their own relative power scale. For instance, at 11 EV, Flash A is firing the amount of light equal to its 1/16 power, while Flash C is firing equal to its 1/8 power. To change the V6 system to the absolute power mode: 1. Switch on the remote V6 in RX mode. Choose the correct flash profiles for each of the V6 RXs. 2.
the absolute light intensity of the four groups. 4. Adjust the power level as you do in relative power mode (see Section 12.1). Each figure before decimal place represents 1 EV and the smaller figure thereafter 1/10 EV. 5. Set all the activated groups to the same power level. Test fire the slaves and determine whether they produce the same flash output. 6. If the initial set up is not accurate enough, you may offset the absolute power scale of each group.
to 1EV. Press screen. to return to the main Note: The absolute power set up will not be saved upon switching off the V6 TX. The V6 TX will restart in relative power mode. 12.3 EV Step The control panel of the V6 TX offers three EV step options: 1/10 EV, 1/3 EV, and 1/2 EV. The configuration applies to both relative and absolute power modes. To adjust the EV step, switch on the V6 in TX mode and press . Turn the selection dial to .
12.4 Lo Power At the Lo Power level, the relative power output of a flash triggered by the V6 is roughly equal to 1/256. The difference between 1/128 and 1/256 power outputs may be hardly detected by flash meter, but the extremely short firing duration helps freeze faster-than-lightning moments and is ideal for high-speed photography. To enable Lo Power: 1. Switch on the V6 in TX mode and press . Turn the selection dial to and press . Turn the selection dial to and press . 2.
13. Camera Shutter Release Note: This function requires the use of a separately purchased shutter release cable for connection between the transceiver and camera. This cable is NOT included in the V6 transceiver package. 13.1 Basic Setup A minimum of two Cactus V6 transceivers is required to operate Cactus V6 as a wireless shutter release.
1. Connect the V6 RX to your camera using an appropriate shutter release cable. 2. Set both the V6 TX and RX to the same channel. On the V6 TX, activate the group assigned to the V6 RX. 3. Half-press on the TX to test the auto focus. The status LED on both the TX and RX will turn ORANGE to indicate auto focus. Press completely on the TX for shutter release. The status LED on both transceivers will turn GREEN to indicate shutter release. 13.2 Bulb Mode 1. Set the camera to Bulb. 2.
13.3 Relay Mode: Camera Shutter + Flash The relay mode in the V6 is an economic solution for coordinating the wireless shutter release with flash trigger systems. With relay capability, you need only 3 transceivers to wirelessly control both the camera and a flash unit at one time. 1. Make sure that all the V6 units are set to the same channel. 2. Set the V6 that you would like to use as the handheld remote as TX, then all others as RX.
3. Mount one of the V6 RXs onto the camera’s hot shoe, and also connect the V6 RX to the camera’s shutter release port with an appropriate shutter release cable (optional). Connect the other V6 RXs to the flash units. 4. On the on-camera V6 RX, press . Turn the selection dial to . Press . Turn the selection dial to . Press to confirm and then press to return to the main screen. The relay mode indicator will appear on the main screen. 5. In the handheld V6 TX unit, press .
6. By pressing on the TX, both the camera and flash units will be triggered and sync with each other. In addition, you will also be able to control the power level of the flashes with your V6 TX. 7. To exit the Relay mode in both TX and RX units, press and turn the selection dial to . Press and turn the selection dial to . Press and then press to return to the main screen.
14. Advanced Operations 14.1 Optical Trigger The optical trigger can act as an alternative trigger mechanism than the radio signal. For instance, it is very useful to capture pre-flash signals that are being emitted earlier than the flash sync. Setting the pre-flash triggered optical trigger with the delay timer (see Section 14.2) can set the exact time for the flash to start firing.
14.2 Delay Timer Every V6 is equipped with a delay timer that is configurable in either the TX or RX mode. The delay timer delays the trigger response for the time period set. If you wish to fire the flash a bit later than the first curtain sync to create a different light effect (e.g., to achieve a second curtain sync), set an appropriate delay time from 1 millisecond to 10 seconds (9,999ms). 1. Switch on the V6 in TX or RX mode, press , and turn the selection dial to . Press . 2.
14.3 Group Sequence There may be some situations in which you would like to fire the slave groups in a very short sequence: •• Post-production of high dynamic range (HDR) photos: In burst mode, photographers can take two pictures of the same scene with contrasted flash power levels very quickly. The resulting pictures can be very handy in the post-production of HDR photos.
The V6 offers two group sequence modes for selection: A-B-C-D: The first trigger in a series will fire group A, then group B, and so on. The fifth trigger will fire group A and start the cycle again. Another series will restart at group A when there is no triggering event in 2 seconds. AB-CD: The first trigger in a series will fire group A and B together, then group C and D. The third trigger will fire group A and B, and start the cycle again.
1. Switch on the V6 in TX mode. Press , and turn the selection dial to . Press . 2. Turn the selection dial to A-B-C-D or ABCD and press . 3. Depending on the group sequence mode you set, one or two cursors will point to the group alphabets on the main screen, indicating which group(s) will be fired next.
15. Personalizing the V6 You may configure a number of personalized options in the SUB-MENU of the V6 (except Section 15.2) to suit your needs. Press and turn the selection dial to , then press . Turn the selection dial again will scroll through all the personalized options. 15.1 Selection Dial Direction 15.2 Selection Dial Lock In , the selection dial of the V6 can be configured to operate in a or direction.
2 seconds. The LCD will show at the left upper corner. 2. To temporarily unlock the selection dial, press the selection dial or once. Alternatively, press and hold any group button to select a group for power level adjustment. The LCD will show to indicate the temporary unlock status. The dial will be locked again when no button or dial is pressed or turned in 2 seconds. 3. To permanently unlock the selection dial, press and hold the selection dial or for 2 seconds.
•• Zoom (Cactus) Mode : controlling the zoom level of the Cactus RF60 (see Section 16.1.1). This can be configured in . 15.4 LCD Backlight Timer 15.5 Sleep Timer The LCD backlight of the V6 will turn on whenever , , the selection dial or any of the group buttons has been pressed or turned. In order to conserve energy, there is a timer setting that automatically turns off the backlight. In , choose from , <5 SECS>, <15 SECS> or .
Note: Wireless triggering will not wake up the V6 RX units remotely. 15.6 Working Range 15.7 Factory Reset The working distance of the V6 can be customized to suit your shooting purpose. In , choose when you need to place the V6 TX units very close to the RX units (e.g., when shooting macro), or choose for normal shots.
16. Working with Cactus Gear The V6 transceiver is compatible with the Cactus Wireless Flash RF60, Wireless Flash Trigger V5, and Laser Trigger LV5.
16.1 16.1.1 RF60 as Slave RF60 V6 RF60 CAMERA With the built-in Cactus V6 module, the Cactus RF60 can be remotely commanded and triggered by the V6 TX. Note: The Cactus V6 can specify up to 1/10 EV step and communicate it with the RF60; however, the RF60 will only display the nearest 1/3 EV step. To control the power level of the RF60 Slave: 1. Set the V6 and the RF60 to the same channel. 2. Activate the group assigned to the RF60 Slave on the V6 TX.
3. Adjust the power level of each group as you would with the V6 RX. To control the zoom level of the RF60 Slave: 1. Configure the swap control to Zoom (Cactus) mode (see Section 15.3). 2. In the main screen of the V6 TX, press once. The zoom levels of the activated groups will be shown on the screen. 3. Adjust the zoom level of each group as you would to adjust the power level (see Section 12.1). The zoom control supports both single group and multi-group adjustments.
16.1.2 RF60 as Master RF60 MASTER RF60 SLAVE V6 CAMERA You may assign the RF60 as master on the camera’s hot shoe and let it trigger and command other RF60 Slave and V6 RX units. While the RF60 Master can control the power and zoom levels of the RF60 Slave, zoom control is not supported when working with the V6 RX units.
16.2 V5 and LV5 The Cactus V6 transceiver can work in pairs with the Cactus V5 or LV5 for wireless triggering without group control. They all share the same 2.4GHz, 16-channel platform. Since the V5 and LV5 do not support groups and remote power control, the V6 TX will trigger all V5s, independent of which group it considers active. Similarly, both V5 and LV5 will trigger any V6 RX, independent of which group the V6 RX has been assigned to.
17. LED Signal Guide STATUS INDICATOR ON TX Flash triggering INDICATOR ON RX Green Shutter triggering Green Half-press auto focusing Orange Power level command received N/A Orange Bulb mode activation Green (for 2 seconds) Bulb mode deactivation Green Low battery Red (every 3 seconds) Firmware update mode Red (every 0.
18. USB Connection The V6 transceiver comes with a mini-USB port that serves two purposes: providing external USB power and for firmware updates. 18.1 External USB Power Apart from AA batteries, the Cactus V6 can also be powered by a 5V DC, 500~1,000mA external USB power device. Check with the specifications of your USB power device to determine the compatibility with the V6 transceiver. Note: External USB Power cannot charge the rechargeable batteries inside the V6 battery compartment. 18.
the LCD display will return to the main screen after 3 seconds. To perform a firmware update when available: 1. Switch off the V6 and remove the batteries inside. 2. Connect it with a computer via the Cactus mini-USB cable MU-1 (optional). 3. Press and hold , then switch on the V6 in TX or RX mode at the same time. 4. The V6 is now in firmware update mode. The status LED blinks in red rapidly. The firmware update program will then recognize the connected V6 and start the upgrade.
19. Optional Accessories 1. Wireless Flash RF60 2. Laser Trigger LV5 3. Shutter Release Cables (Cactus Shutter Cables are available for most camera models by Canon, Leica, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, and Sony. Please visit our website for compatible models.) 4. Sync Cables and Adapters - PC Sync Cable CA-200 - 3.5mm Plug Cable w/6.35mm Plug adapter CA-360 5. USB to mini USB cable MU-1 6.
20. Troubleshooting Before reading this section, ensure that the Cactus V6 transceiver have been set up correctly (following the instruction in Section 8-14 of this manual). If the problem persists after conducting the troubleshooting steps, contact your seller directly for further assistance. 1.
2. Flash Profile Learning Fails LCD DISPLAY POSSIBLE CAUSE SOLUTION LCD shows error messages during flash learning 1. The flash model is not supported Check Section 7.1.3 for the compatibility of flash models for flash profile learning 2. The flash is powered by depleted batteries and producing unstable output of power Replace the batteries of the flash 3.
3. Flash Misfire (Unexpected Flash Firing) LED BLINKS? POSSIBLE CAUSE SOLUTION TX: No RX: No Poor hot shoe condition - Adjust tightness of hot shoe contact - Clean the hot shoe contacts of the V6 with a clean cloth TX: No RX: Yes (Green) 1. Background radio interference - Set both transceivers to another channel - Change setup location as interference may come from other equipment in the surrounding area 2.
4. Slow Synchronization (Delayed Flash) LED BLINKS? POSSIBLE CAUSE SOLUTION TX: Yes (Green) RX: Yes (Green) 1. Shutter speed is faster than the camera’s x-sync limitation Adjust the camera’s shutter speed to the maximum supported x-sync speed 2. Delay timer has been set Turn off the delay timer or adjust the delay timer to a correct sync time Replace batteries and retry TX or RX: Yes (Red every 3 seconds) 3. Insufficient battery power 5.
LED BLINKS? POSSIBLE CAUSE TX: Yes (Green) RX: No 1. Poor battery Replace the contact or batteries in the battery out of RX and retry power on RX SOLUTION 2. Channel and Ensure both group mismatch transceivers are set to the same channel and the group assigned to the RX has been activated on the TX 3. Background radio interference - Set both transceivers to another channel - Change setup location as interference may come from other equipment in the surrounding area 4.
LED BLINKS? POSSIBLE CAUSE SOLUTION TX: Yes (Green) RX: Yes (Green) 1. Poor hot shoe contact - Adjust tightness of hot shoe contact - Clean the hot shoe contacts of the V6 with a clean cloth 2. Flash used is Check that the not compatible flash used is with the V6 compatible with the V6 (see Section 7.1) 3. Poor cable connection - Check the cable connection - Change the cable 4.
21. Notices Notices for Customers in the U.S.A. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Radio Frequency Interference Statements. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
HARVEST ONE LIMITED AND THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS WIRELESS FLASH TRANSCEIVER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY RADIO OR TV INTERFERENCE CAUSED BY UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS TO THIS EQUIPMENT. SUCH MODIFICATIONS COULD VOID THE USER AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT. FCC ID: VAAWFTV6 MADE IN CHINA This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules.
This product, Cactus Wireless Flash Transceiver V6, is in conformity with the provisions of EU Council Directive: 1999/5/EC. The crossed-out wheeled bin means that within the European Union the product must be disposed separately at the end of the product cycle. Do not dispose thisproduct with other municipal waste.
22. Warranty The limited warranty set forth below is given by Harvest One Limited in the world with respect to the Cactus brand Wireless Flash Transceiver purchased with this limited warranty.
improper packaging by you, alteration, accident, electrical current fluctuations. (b) Failure to follow operating, maintenance or environmental instructions prescribed in Cactus user’s manual. (c) Receive services performed by someone other than Harvest One Limited or authorized dealers.
SHALL RECOVERY OF ANY KIND AGAINST HARVEST ONE LIMITED GREATER IN AMOUNT THAN THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE CACTUS WIRELESS FLASH TRANSCEIVER SOLD BY HARVEST ONE LIMITED OR ITS AUTHORIZED DEALERS AND CAUSING THE ALLEGED DAMAGE.
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