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Cactus V6 IIs User Manual

Wireless flash transceiver
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1. Getting to Know the Cactus V6 IIs
1. Getting to Know the Cactus V6 IIs
Thank you for purchasing the Cactus Wireless Flash Transceiver V6 IIs.
The Cactus V6 IIs is specially designed for Sony Alpha and Nex cameras and flashes
with the MI (Multi-Interface) hot shoe. Yet when working with the Cactus V6 II, it
allows you to command different brands' flashes off camera below or above x-sync
speed. The freedom to adjust shutter speed equips you the best flexibility in
controlling apertures and power levels - the possibility are endless!
1.1 Special Features

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Summary of Contents for Cactus V6 IIs

  • Page 1: Table Of Contents

    Thank you for purchasing the Cactus Wireless Flash Transceiver V6 IIs. The Cactus V6 IIs is specially designed for Sony Alpha and Nex cameras and flashes with the MI (Multi-Interface) hot shoe. Yet when working with the Cactus V6 II, it allows you to command different brands’...
  • Page 2 HSS or FP sync, has to be enabled on the system flash in order to synchronize the flash light with the camera beyond the x-sync shutter. Cactus V6 IIs supports high-speed sync in two ways: 1. Normal HSS: It supports the HSS or FP sync capabilities of the system flashes.

  • Page 3: Cautions And Warnings

    With this unique feature, photographers can remotely control the flash power of various flash models, even of different brands! For flash models that have not been included in the profile list, the V6 IIs can still work with it by the auto flash profiles. Users could further calibrate the flash profiles in the Cactus Firmware Updater to produce more accurate power outputs.

  • Page 4: Major Specifications

    5. Do not operate the device in the presence of flammable gases or fumes. 6. Do not dissemble. 7. Do not crush and do not expose the V6 IIs to any shock or force such as hammering, dropping, or stepping on it.

  • Page 5: Package Contents

    4. Package Contents (image) V6 IIs Transceiver (image) Flash Stand FS-2 (image) Album & User Manual 5. Nomenclature TEST BUTTON/ SHUTTER RELEASE BUTTON MULTI-SYSTEM SHOE (FEMALE) LCD DISPLAY LANYARD LOOP X-SYNC PORT MINI USB PORT MODE SWITCH GROUP BUTTONS AF ASSIST LIGHT...

  • Page 6: Lcd Panel

    TRIPOD MOUNT MULTI-SYSTEM SHOE (MALE) HOT SHOE LOCK LEVER SELECTION DIAL OK BUTTON MENU BUTTON LED STATUS INDICATOR BATTERY DOOR 6. LCD Panel 6.1 TX Mode BATTERY INDICATOR GROUP CHANNEL POWER LEVEL POWER LEVEL INCREMENT 6.2 RX Mode...

  • Page 7: Compatibility

    RELAY MODE INDICATOR SLAVE MODE INDICATOR 7. Compatibility The Cactus V6 IIs 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.

  • Page 8: Ttl Pass-Through

    Flashes or strobes with reversed polarity connectors DO NOT WORK with the Cactus V6 series. 7.2 Cameras The Cactus V6 IIs works with practically all cameras that come with either (1) a Sony MI hot shoe. To use the V6 II as a wireless shutter release, specific shutter cables are required. For the list of optional accessories, see Section 20.
  • Page 9 The V6 IIs transceiver comes with a multi-system shoe that supports TTL pass- through. While the V6 IIs does not command slave flashes to fire TTL exposures wirelessly, it is designed to pass TTL signal from camera to flash via the transmitter (TX) and vice versa.

  • Page 10: Getting Started

    9.2 Attaching to and Detaching from the Camera To mount the V6 IIs on a camera’s hot shoe mount: 1. Turn the lock lever of the V6 IIs to the left to unlock the hot shoe (male). 2. Slide the V6 IIs into the camera’s hot shoe.
  • Page 11 The selection dial has a built-in push-in button that serves as a quick OK button. You may configure how the dial works to suit your working habit. (see Sections 16.1 – 16.6). Major functions of the V6 IIs listed below are easily accessible by the buttons and dial. Group Control (see Section 9.6)
  • Page 12 Zoom (Cactus) mode Main screen (needs configuration in menu beforehand) Navigating the Menu (see Section 9.7) Function Mode Enter the menu TX/RX Main screen Browse through menu Menu items and options Choose a menu item or Menu option Leave the menu Menu TTL Pass-through / Flash Lock (see Sections 8 and 10.1)
  • Page 13 9.6 Setting and Selecting the Group (image) The group function in the V6 IIs can assign RXs into Group A, B, C, or D, and allows you to choose which group(s) to f ire from the TX unit. 1. All V6 IIs transceivers must be set to the same channel.
  • Page 14 9.7 Navigating the Menu There are a number of configurable menu options in the V6 IIs. To change a menu option: 1. Press to bring up the first menu item. 2. Dial right or left to scroll through each menu item.
  • Page 15 BACKLIGHT POWER 1-10 √ √ DAY LIGHT MODE DISABLE ENABLE √ TEMPORARY UNLOCK DISABLE ENABLE √ √ RADIO ID 0-9999 √ SWAP CONTROL QUICK POWER ADJ ZOOM (CACTUS) √ √ AF ASSIST POWER 1-10 √ MAX. X-SYNC SPD 1/160 SEC...

  • Page 16: Flash Profile: Auto Detect And Customization

    Section 10.3). 10.1 Applying Auto Flash Profile The auto flash profile in V6 IIs works with all Sony system flashes with the MI shoe to produce a moderately accurate (error within 0.3EV) flash output. The auto flash profile would be loaded to V6 IIs by default..
  • Page 17 4. Turn the selection dial until the LCD shows your flash model (e.g., <F60M>). Press 5. Connect the flash unit to the V6 IIs. 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.

  • Page 18: Flash Triggering

    On each RX, choose the appropriate flash profile for each flash to be connected. The V6 IIs TX will then be able to command the flash to f ire from 1/128 to 1/1 full power. V6 IIs offers two power definitions for users to command the flashes’...
  • Page 19 2. Switch on the flash units in TTL mode. Then switch on the V6 IIs in RX mode. 3. Choose the correct flash profile for each V6 IIs. 4. If you may command the flash to fire above the x-sync speed, turn on the HSS flash on your flash units (see Section 13.1).
  • Page 20 By turning the dial left or right one “click,” the power level of the chosen groups will increase or decrease by one step. The EV step in the V6 IIs factory setting is 1/3 EV. The EV step can be configured to 1/2, 1/3, or 1/10 in the <EV STEP> menu (see Section 12.3).
  • Page 21 12.2 13.0 When setting up the absolute power mode, the V6 IIs 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.
  • Page 22 (SETUP)> and press to confirm. 3. The V6 IIs TX will then collect the flash profiles from the V6 IIs RX units and set up the absolute power level scheme. Once the set up is finished, the LCD display will return to the main screen again and show the absolute light intensity of the four groups.

  • Page 23: High Speed Synchronization

    The V6 IIs TX will restart in relative power mode. 12.3 EV Step The control panel of the V6 IIs 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.
  • Page 24 13.2 Power Sync As an alternative to the normal HSS, the Power Sync of the V6 IIs syncs with the full power flash of the remote flashes. Power Sync yields a much higher exposure than the normal HSS flash.

  • Page 25: Camera Shutter Release

    1. Connect the V6 IIs RX to your camera using an appropriate shutter release cable. 2. Set both the V6 IIs TX and RX to the same channel. On the V6 IIs TX, activate the group assigned to the V6 IIs RX.

  • Page 26: Advanced Operations

    1. Make sure that all the V6 IIs units are set to the same channel. 2. Set the V6 IIs that you would like to use as the handheld remote as TX, then all others as RX.
  • Page 27 15.3 Delay Timer (image) Every V6 IIs 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 f ire 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...
  • Page 28 4. The status screen of V6 IIs TX and main screen of the V6 II RX will show the status of the delay timer (see Section 6.2).

  • Page 29: Personalizing The V6

    . Turn the selection dial again will scroll through all the personalized options. 16.1 Selection Dial Direction In <DIAL DIRECTION>, the selection dial of the V6 IIs can be configured to operate in a <CLOCKWISE> or <ANTI-CLOCKWISE> direction. To increase the power level in the main screen, for example, you would have to turn the selection dial to the left in the clockwise setting, or turn it to the right in the anti(counter)-clockwise setting.
  • Page 30 16.5 Sleep Timer To conserve energy when you forget to switch off the V6 IIs after use, the sleep timer will switch the V6 IIs to the sleep mode after a specified period. In <SLEEP>, choose from <OFF>, <15 MINS> or <60 MINS>.

  • Page 31: Working With Cactus Gear

    With the built-in Cactus V6 module, the Cactus RF60x can be remotely commanded and triggered by the V6 IIs TX, within or beyond x-sync speed. The RF60 series in this set up would support both normal HSS and Power Sync flash.

  • Page 32: Led Signal Guide

    17.2 V6 Series The Cactus V6 IIs in TX mode can work in pairs with V6 II or V6 in RX mode to support high speed sync capabilities, but not vice versa. 17.3 V5 and LV5 The Cactus V6 IIs transceiver can work in pairs with the Cactus V5 or LV5 for wireless triggering without group control.

  • Page 33: Usb Connection

    To check the firmware version of the V6 II, press and hold , then switch on the V6 IIs in TX or RX mode at the same time. The LCD display will show the firmware version installed in the unit. Release the buttons, the LCD display will return to the main screen after 3 seconds.

  • Page 34: Optional Accessories

    7. Lanyard CL-1 21. Troubleshooting Before reading this section, ensure that the Cactus V6 IIs 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.
  • Page 35 RX displays 1. The chosen flash profile Choose the correct flash correct power does not match the profile or learn a new one levels flash model 2. The flash is in a wrong Check and set the flash to operation mode (e.g. M the TTL mode mode) 3.
  • Page 36 1. Poor hot shoe contact - Adjust tightness of hot RX: Yes (Green) shoe contact - Clean the hot shoe contacts of the V6 IIs with a clean cloth 2. Flash used is not Check that the flash used is compatible with the V6 compatible with the V6 IIs (see Section 7.1)

  • Page 37: Notices

    Shutter Release) 22. 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.
  • Page 38 R&TTE Directive (1999/5/EC). (image) This product, Cactus Wireless Flash Transceiver V6 IIs, is in conformity with the provisions of EU Council Directive: 1999/5/EC. (image) The crossed-out wheeled bin means that within the European Union the product must be disposed separately at the end of the product cycle.

  • Page 39: Warranty

    Cactus brand Wireless Flash Transceiver purchased with this limited warranty. Your Cactus Wireless Flash Transceiver or other contents, when delivered to you in new condition in its original container, is warranted against defects in materials or...
  • Page 40 ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT 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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