Cactus V6, Wireless Flash Transceiver V6 User Manual

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User Ma nual

Wireless Flash Transceiver V6

Table of Contents

1. Getting to K now the Cactus V6 4

2. Cautions a nd Warni ngs 7

3. Major Specif icatio ns 8

4. Package Contents 9

5. Nomenclature 10

6. L CD Panel 12

7. Co mp atibi lity 13

8. TTL Pass-through 17

9. Getting Started 19

10. Flas h Prof ile: 27 Choosin g, Learni ng, and Copying

11. Flash Tr iggerin g 35

12. Re mote Manual Power Control 37

13. Camer a Shutter Release 47

14. Advanced Operations 52

15. Personalizing the V6 54

16. Working with Cactus Gear 57

17. LED Sign al Guide 62

18. USB Connection 63

19. Optional Accessories 65

20. Troubleshooting 66

21. Notices 72

22. Wa rra nty 75

1. Getting to Know the Cactus V6

Tha nk you for purch asing the Cactus Wireless Flash Tra nsceiver V6. The Cactus V6 i s a m u lt if u n c ti o n a l w ir e l ess  a s h transceiver that allows yo u to comm and

different bra nds’ ashes off ca mera with

remote p ower control. You can p osition your lights at an y angle, direction, and distance — the p ossibilities are endless!

1.1

Special Features

1. Wireless manual po wer control of a list of current a nd previous Ca non, Nikon,

a n d Pen t a x  a s hes .

2. Fla sh prof ile lea rni ng for a nalogue-TTL

a sh es.

3. Fu ll manipulation of power levels to

1/10, 1/3, 1/2 and 1EV steps.

4. Lo Power mo de f ires the ash for extrem ely short length s of time.

5. Abs olute Power Mode bench marks th e power

output of different  ash models to the

same light intensity.

6. TTL pass-through with Can on, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, and Fujif ilm via one single unit.

7. Built-i n optical trigger ena bles

pre-ash triggeri ng.

8. Gr oup control allows you to control up to four groups.

9. Relay mode triggers the ca mera shutter

a n d  a sh i n sy nc .

10. Delay tim er is conf igura ble from 1 millisecond to 10 seconds.

11. Mi ni- US B port for optional power supply and f irmware up dates.

1.2

Cactus V6 Core

Each ash model has its in dividual power

level characteristics. We have prof iled more

than 30 popular ash models across a wide

ran ge of brands so that the V6 can precisely control their output levels. With this unique featu re, photographer s can rem otely control the  ash power of various  ash models, even of different brands!

F or  a s h m o d el s t h at h a v e n ot b e e n i n cl u d e d

in the prof ile list, the V6 can still work

with it by learning its a sh prof ile. Check S e ct io n 7.1.3 for d e t ai l s of w h i c h  a s he s are eligible for the ash prof ile learning

pro gr am.

Whether built-in or obtained fr om the

learni ng prog ram, the ash prof ile stored i n the V 6 c a n v irt u a l l y c o m m a n d t he  a s h t o

produce A NY power level within the m aximu m

o ut p u t, a n d e v en e xc e e d s w h at t h e  a s h m enu

allows you to do:

1. Finer increment scales: The V6 can

adjust the power level of ash to 1/10 EV

step, a much f i ner increment level than t he  a s h m e n u it s el f a l lo w s (s e e Section 12.3 for setting up the EV step).

2. Extre mely short f irin g time: In Lo Power

mode, the V6 can f ire  ashes for ver y

short leng ths of time at extremely low

power levels (rou ghly e qual to 1/256), which is beyond the sta ndard ash power r a n g e (s e e S ect io n 1 2.4 f o r e n a bl i n g t he

Lo Power output).

3. Unif ied power level scale for different

 a s h m o d el s: T h e V 6 b enc h m a r k s t he lig ht intensity output of different ash

models in your set up and co mmands them to f ire at the same power scale (see Section 12.2 for ad justing absolute p o w er).

Ready to g o? Let’s get on boa rd and see what the V6 can do!

2. Cautions and Warnings

Before using your V6, read th e following safety precautions to en sure correct and sa fe u se:

1. T urn OFF all your equipment (e.g. Cactus units, ash u nits, ca meras, etc.) before

chan ging batteries or ma king conne ctions. Observe the correct polarity when cha ngin g batteries. There is a dan ger of explosion if the batteries are installed incorrectly.

2. Switch off the transceiver and r emove batteries durin g storage.

3. Do not per manently store the product in

a hig h temper ature environment (i.e.,

under strong direct sunlight, near cooking stoves/oven).

4. The Cactus V6 sh ould never be submer ged in liquid or exposed to heav y rain u nless it is properly protected.

5. Do not operate the device in the prese nce

of  a m m a bl e g a s es o r f u m e s.

6. Do not disse mble.

7. Do not cru sh and do not ex pose the V6 to any shock or force such as ha mmering, dropping, or stepping on it.

3. Major Speciﬁcations

• Working radio fr equency: 2.4 GHz

• Num ber of channels: 16

• Num ber of groups: 4

• Support sync speed up to 1/1,000 second (subject to camera’s sync spe ed

limitation)

• Maximum effective distance: 100 meters

• Operatin g temper ature: -20°C to +50°C

• Camera voltage ha ndling: up to 6V

• Flash voltage h andlin g: up to 300V

• Dimensions: 72m m (L ) x 72m m (W ) x 42 m m ( H)

• Weight: 68g

• Power input: 2 x A A battery, 3V, 50mA,

0.15W; mini USB 2.0, DC input 5V, 500mA~1A

• Estimated battery life:

Batter y life

(h ou rs)

LCD Backlight Off 40 21 67 34

LCD Backlight On 25 17 36 25

Alkaline AA Batterie s 1000mAh

TX RX TX RX

Rechargeable

Ni M H A A

Batterie s 2500m Ah

4. Package Contents

Flash Stand FS-2V6 Transceiver

Album &

User Ma nual

TEST BUTTON/

SHUTTER RELEASE

BUTTON

OPT ICAL

SENSOR

GROUP BUT TONS

5. Nomenclature

MU LT I-S YST EM

SHOE (FEMA LE)

M OD E S W I TC H

LCD DISPLAY

X-SYNC PORT

MINI USB PORT

LANYARD LOOP

TRIPOD MOUNT

BATTERY DOOR

MU LT I-S YST EM

SHOE (MAL E)

LED STAT US INDICATOR

HOT SHOE

LOCK LEV ER

OK BUTTON

MENU BU TTON

SEL ECTIO N DIAL

6.1

TX mode

6. LCD Panel

BATTERY

IN DICATOR

GROUP

6.2

RX mode

CHANNEL

BATTERY

IN DICATOR

CHANNEL

POWER LE VEL

GROUP

DELAY T IMER REL AY MODE

POWER LE VEL INCREM ENT

IN DICATOR

SELECTE D FLASH PROFILE

WIRELES S

SENSITIVITY

SL AVE M ODE IN DICATOR

7. Compatibility

The Cactus V6 is both a wir eless ash trigger a nd wireless re mote control. While

it triggers both portable  ashes a nd studio

strobe lig hts, it also supports r emote

c ont r ol f e a tu r e s w ith s e le c t e d  a s h m o d el s.

7.1

Flash & Studio Strobes

7.1.1 Cactus RF60

With the built-in Cactus V6 module, the Cactus RF60 can b e remotely com mand ed and

trigger ed by V6 T X (see Section 16.1.1).

7.1.2 Flash M odels w ith a Pre- insta lled Prof i le in the Cac tus V6

The Cactus V6 ca n remotely control the

fol low i n g p o r t abl e  a sh m o d e l s:

FLASH SYSTEM FLASH MO DEL

CANON CACTUS AF45C, AF50C;

NIKON CACTUS A F45N, A F50N;

PENTA X CACTUS AF45P, A F50P;

* prof iles workin g with different versions of the

m od e l (e.g ., 58 0E X I I a n d 580 E X)

7.1.3 Flash Models with Analogue TTL Mode

The Cactus V6 ca n learn the prof iles of

other ash models that come with a n analogue

TTL mode, i.e., the TTL o perated an alogue

q u en c h s ig n als . If y our  a s h e s c o m e w it h a

TTL mo de that does not have a n initial

b ef o r e TT L (e .g . E- T T L o r E -TT L I I f r o m

CANON 320EX, 430EX*, 540EZ, 580EX*, 600EX-RT; GO DO X V 860 C; ME TZ 36A F-5, 44A F-1, 50 AF-1, 52A F-1, 58AF-1, 58AF-2; NISSIN Di866 MAR K II, MG8000;

PHOTTIX STR ATO;

SIGMA EF-500 DG SUPER; YONGNU O YN568EX*;

METZ 36AF-5, 44AF-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;

METZ 36AF-5, 44AF-1, 50AF-1, 58AF-2; PENTAX A F 360FGZ, AF 540FGZ;

Canon, i-TTL or i-TTL BL from Nikon, or

P-TTL from Penta x), their  ash prof iles ma y

be learn ed and re motely controlled by the Cactus V6.

7.1.4 Other Flash Models and Studio Strobes

The Cactus V6 triggers all other ash models

via the hot shoe, and studio strobes with the PC sync m ale port, 3.5mm or 6.35mm por t

v ia o p tio n a l c a bl e s (s e e S ec t io n 19). T h i s includes high trigger voltage portable ash

models, and all stro be models with a trigger voltage of 300V or under. The Cactus V6 does not provide re mote power control of these

 a s he s a n d s tr o b e s.

Cau tion:

Flashes or strobes with reversed polarity conne ctors DO NOT WORK with the Cactus V6.

7.2

Cameras

The Cactus V6 works w ith practically all

camer as that come with either (1) a stan dard ISO h o t s h oe, o r (2) a f e m a le s y n c p o r t

connection.

To use the V6 as a wireless shutter release, specif ic shutter cables are req uired. For the list of optional accessories, see Sec tio n 19.

7.3

Flash Triggers

7.3.1 C actus V 5 and LV5

The Cactus V6 is com patible with the Wireless Flash Tra nsceiver V5 and Laser Trigger LV5. See Section 16.2 for deta ils.

7.3.2 Other Flash Triggers

The Cactus V6 is NOT co mpatible with any

other ash trigger model, includin g the

Cactus V2, Cactus V2s, and Cactus V4.

8. TTL Pass-through

The V6 tran sceiver comes with a multi-system shoe that supports TTL pass-through.

While the V6 does not transmit TTL sig nal wirelessly, it is designe d to pass TTL

signal from camera to ash via the transmitter (TX) and vice versa.

The multi-system shoe supports TTL pass-throu gh of Canon, Fu jif ilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, and Pentax syste ms.

Make sure that ca mera and ash unit belong

to the same TTL system.

Wit h T T L p a ss - throu g h, t h e T T L  a she s behave as th ey would when dir ectly conne cted to the camera hot shoe. The V6

will work a s a wireless ash commander while s upp o r tin g a ll t h e a uto m a tic f e at u r e s (e. g., automatic ash output via TTL m etering,

AF assist light, second cu rtain sync, hig h speed sy nc/FP shutter) provided by the TTL

ash system.

To enable TTL pass-throug h in the V6 TX,

press and hold for 2 seconds. The LCD will show the T TL pass-throu gh indicator at the left bottom corner where the chan nel indicator used to be.

In TTL pa ss-throug h mode, the V6 TX cannot control the p ower level of the  ash attached.

To disable the TTL p ass-throug h mode, press and hold for 2 seconds. The T TL passthrou gh indicator will be replaced by the chan nel indicator on the LCD.

9.1

Installing the Batteries

9.2

Attaching to and Detaching from th e Camera

9. Getting Started

Open the battery door by pushi ng it backwa rd. Flip open the latch and i nsert two AA batteries using the correct polarities. Then close the battery door by pushin g it to th e f ro nt.

UNLOCK

To mount the V6 on a camera’s hot shoe mount:

1. Turn the lock lever of the V6 to the left

t o u n l oc k t h e m u lt i- sys t e m s hoe ( m a le ).

2. Slide the V6 into the ca mera’s hot shoe.

LOCK

3. Turn the lock lever of the V6 to the right to lock the multi-syste m shoe

(m a l e).

4. Whe n detaching the V6 from the ca mera’s hot shoe, turn the lock lever to the left

t o u n l oc k t h e m u lt i- sys t e m s hoe ( m a le ). Otherwise, the multi-system shoe (male)

may be damaged.

Note: A t ta c h y o u r a s h t o the V 6 a s y ou

would to the ca mera’s hot sho e. If your ash

is not locked secur ely on the Multi-System

S hoe ( fe m a l e), t r y h a lf -l ock i n g t h e a s h a n d

retracting it slightly from the Multi-System Shoe until the locking pin hits the pinhole.

T h en loc k y o u r  ash f u l l y t o t he V6 .

9.3

Buttons and Dial

The V6 control pa nel is equipped w ith a Menu butto n , an OK button , and a selection dial for quick access to different functions and the co nf ig uration menu.

The Menu button accesses the conf ig uration menu. In the main screen, pressing will

display the conf ig uration menu. In an y part of the menu, press to exit the conf ig uration menu.

There a re also other uses for the Me nu butt on:

– In TX mode, press a nd hold to enter

or e xit t h e T T L p ass - th r o u g h m o d e (s e e

S e ct i o n 8).

– In TX mode, press a nd hold wh ile

simu ltaneo usly tur nin g the selection dial to cha nge the po wer level of the

master  ash on the V6 TX (see Section

12.1.1).

– In TX mode with absolute power mode,

press an y group button t ogether with simultane ously to conf igu re the EV

of f s et o f t he g r o u p (s e e S e cti o n 1 2.2).

The OK button ha s two features:

1. To enter a menu item and to conf ir m an option in the conf ig uration menu.

2. To enter the swap control (quick adjustment mode/zoom (Cactus) mode)

from, and exit to, the TX main screen

(s e e S e ct io n 15.2).

The selection dial is a two-wa y dial that scrolls easily thro ugh different options by turning left or right. Use the dial to:

1. Access menu item s and menu options in th e conf ig uration menu.

2. Adjust the po wer levels in the TX main scr een.

The dir ection of the selection dial is conf ig urable in the sub- menu (see Section 15.1). You may conf ig ure it to operate in either a clockwise or

a nti(c ou n te r)-c lo ck w is e d ire ction.

The selection dial has a built-in pu sh-in button that serves as a quick OK button.

When co nf ir ming a n option in the conf igu ration menu, or entering/leavin g the swap control, you may either press or the push-in selection dial.

9.4

Choosing the Operating Mode

The Cactus V6 is a wir eless transceiver that is capable of transmitti ng and r eceiving radio signals. Set the V6 transceivers to

the corr ect mode (transmitter to “TX”, receiver to “R X”) by sliding the mode switch

to the corre ct position. This will automatically pow er on the transceivers.

9.5

Setting the Channel

The Cactus V6 tra nsceivers commu nicate with each other via ra dio frequency. T here are 16 chan nels available. Always make sure that all of your V6 tran sceivers are set to the same channel:

1. To set both TX a nd RX to the sa me chan nel, press . The L CD will show <CH A N N E L > a n d t he d ef a u lt c h a n n e l number. P ress an d turn the selection dial to the preferr ed chan nel number. Press to set other menu item s or press

to exit.

2. The selected ch annel nu mber will be displayed on the LCD screen.

9.6

Setting and Selecting the Group

The gr oup function in the V6 ca n assign R Xs into Group A, B, C, or D, a nd allows you to

choose which group(s) to f ire from the TX

u nit.

1. All V6 transceivers must be set to the same channel.

2. Assign R X units to Groups A, B, C, or D by pressing one of the group buttons. Each RX can only be assigned to ONE gr oup. The LED of the selected g roup will tur n on.

3. Com mand the T X to f ir e any combination of groups by pr essing the gr oup

button(s). You ca n f ire a ny combination

of A, B, C, and D g roups. The LED of the

a ct iv a t e d g r o u p(s ) w i ll t u r n o n.

4. To cha nge the pow er level of a specif ic grou p, press and hold an activated group button. Quickly pressin g the group button agai n will de-select the group.

5. Pressing the group button(s) of activated

grou ps again on th e V6 TX will turn off

t he g r o u p (s). T h e V6 R X u n it s t h at h a v e b e en s e t t o the o f f g r o u p(s ) w i ll n o t

f i re.

6. T he V6 will memorize the g roup selection

in both TX a nd RX when it is switched of f. Next time you switch on the V6 it

will start up w ith the saved setting.

9.7

Navigating the Menu

There a re a number of conf ig urable menu options in the V6.

To chan ge a menu option:

1. Press to bring up the f irst m enu ite m.

2. Dial right or left to scroll throu gh each me nu it em.

3. Press or push-in button once to access a menu item.

4. Dial right or left to scroll throu gh each option of a menu item.

5. Press or push-in button once to select the option. The conf iguration of the menu item will ch ange i mmediately.

6. Press to leave and go back to the main screen, or dial rig ht or left to the next item in the sequence.

Menu item Option

CHANNEL 1-16 √ √

OPT ICAL SLAV E OFF

REL AY OFF

DELAY OFF

Lo POWER OFF

POWER M ODE RELATIVE

EV STEP 1/10

FLASH SETUP SKIP

COPY FLASH

SETUP CHOOSE PROFILE MA NUAL

SUB-MENU L CD B A CK L IG H T

S1 FIRST FLASH

S 2 M A IN F L A SH

SET

ABSOLUT E

1/3 1/2

COPY PROFILE START LEARNING

SKIP START

CANON NIKON PENTA X LEARNED

SLEEP DIAL DIREC TION SWAP CONTROL WORKING RANGE FACTORY RESET

Applicable modes

TX RX

√ √

√

√ √

10. Flash Proﬁle: Choosing,

Learning, and Copying

The V6 transceiver com mands ashes to f ir e at a particular output via ash prof iles.

There a re three w ays to obtain the correct

ash prof iles:

1. Choose fr om the pre-installed ash

prof iles i n the V6.

2. L earn a custom ash prof ile using the V6.

3. Copy the learned prof iles from a nother V6.

10.1

Choosing the Flash Proﬁle from th e V6

Choose the appropriate ash prof ile from the

pre-installed prof ile list for each V6 RX

y ou w i l l u se w it h y o u r  a s h.

1. Switch on the V6 in R X mode.

2. Press , a nd then tur n the selection dial to <CHOOSE PROFILE>. Press .

3. Turn the selection dial until the LCD

s how s y o u r  a s h s y st e m (e .g . < CA N O N >).

Press .

4. Turn the selection dial until the LCD

s how s y o u r  a s h m o d el (e.g . <58 0 EX* >).

Press .

5. Connect the ash unit to the V6. Switch y our  a s h t o T T L m o de a n d y our  a s h w i ll

be read y for remote control. The chosen

ash prof ile will be applied until you choose another ash prof ile.

In case you wish to f ir e and control a n

on-cam era master ash via the V6 TX, follow

steps 2-4 above in TX m ode to choose the

appropriate ash prof ile for the master a sh.

10.2

Learning a Custo m Flash Proﬁle

If y o u r  a s h m o de l s a r e n ot i n c lu d e d i n

the pre-installed prof ile list but support

A n a lo g u e T T L , u s e t he V6 t o l e a r n the  a s h prof iles. Make sure that you r ashes are eligible for the V6  ash prof ile lear ning prog r a m (s e e S ect io n 7.1 .3).

1. Switch on one of your V6s in RX mode.

2. S et up your ash on the V6 multi-system shoe (female). Position the V6 together w it h y o u r  a s h f aci n g a w h it e,

matte surface at a distance of 1 meter in a da rk environ ment.

FLASH

WHITE SURFACE

V6 RX

3. Press and then tu rn the selection dial to <FLASH SETUP>. Press .

4. Turn the selection dial to <START

LEAR NING>. Press a ga in.

5. Choose the correct ash system.

Press .

6. T he LCD screen will show <SET FLASH TO T T L M OD E >, w it h t h e o pt ion < G O > b ei n g

selected.

7. Set your  ash to the TTL mode and the

maxi mum zoom level. Press .

8. T he V6 will test f ire the ash twice an d determi ne whether the ash is eligible for t h e  a sh lea r n i n g p r o g r a m. I f t h e  a s h i s n ot e l i g ib l e, t h e L C D s cr e e n w i ll show <FLASH LEAR NING NOT SUPPORTED>.

Ti ps: There is a chance that the distance

b et w e e n t h e  a s h an d t h e r e ec t iv e s u rfa c e

is too short or to o long. Relocate the

ash as specif ied in step 2. Also make s u r e t h at y o u h ave c h o s en t he c o r r e ct  a s h

system in step 7.

9. If the ash is eligible for the learni ng

progr am, the LCD screen w ill show <SET

MAX GN> and the default number 45. Turn

the selection dial until the LCD screen

shows the maxi mum g uide number (in meters) of your  ash. Press .

10. The LCD screen will then show <SET

M A N UAL 1/ 2> w it h a h i g h li g h t e d o pt i on <GO>. S w it c h y o u r  a s h to M a n u al m o de

at 1/2 power and press . The V6 will

trigger your ash a few times as it le a r n s , wh i le s h o w i n g <L E A R N I N G 1/2 > o n

the LCD scree n.

11. Once the program h as f i nished lear ning 1/2 power, the LCD will then s how <SET

M A N UAL 1/ 4>. T h e p r o ced u r e w i l l r e p eat

until the program has f inished learning to 1/128 power.

12. If your  ash does not support a particular p ower level, turn the dial to <SKIP> and then press . T he progra m will skip learning that power level and go to the nex t level. The mor e power levels that have been lea rned, the more accurate the lea rned prof ile will be.

13. Once the V6 has f inishe d f iring the ash i n the s t e p < SE T M A N U A L 1/1 28 >, t h e L C D s cr e e n w i ll s h o w <BA C K T O T T L M O DE >. C h a n g e t h e  a s h m o d e to T T L a n d pres s

. The V6 will then f ine tune differe nt

power levels and f ir e t h e  a s h ma n y times for approx imately 2-3 minutes.

14. When th e learnin g is f in ished, the LCD

s cr e e n w i ll s h o w <FL A S H P ROF I L E N A M E>.

Enter a prof ile name with 1-6 letters or numbers. Please enter a unique prof ile nam e that has not been u sed in other custom prof iles. Turn the selection dial to choose f rom A-Z and 0-9 and pr ess for every cha racter selected.

15. Then the L CD screen will show <PROFILE SAVED>. T he ash prof ile lear ning is com pleted.

To choose the saved ash prof ile fro m the

prof ile list, see Section 10.1. All custom

prof iles will be stored under the ash s yst e m <LE A R N E D > i n t he < C H O OS E P R OFI L E >

me nu.

E ach V 6 c a n s av e u p t o 15 c u st o m  a s h prof iles from the lea rning progra m. The

deviations of the light output f rom the theoretical values sh ould be less than

0.2 E V.

No te s:

1. Not all ash prof iles can be lear ned by

the V6 even thou gh they mig ht fulf ill the requirements provided in S e ct i o n 7. 1.3 .

2. Always install fresh batteries to the

ash when sta rting the ash prof ile

lea rn ing.

10.3

Copying Custom Flash Proﬁles

Once you have f inis hed learni ng a num ber of

ash prof iles with one V6, you may co py all the custom ash pr of iles to other V6 units.

1. Set all the V6 units to the same cha nnel.

2. Pick out the V6 source unit containin g

all the lea rned  ash prof iles that you

wish to copy to other V6 units. Switch it on in TX mode. Press , an d turn the selection dial until the LCD shows <COPY

FLASH SETUP>. Press , a nd turn the selection dial to <START>. Press

again. The LCD screen will the n show

<SE T R X T O C O PY P R O FI L E > w it h a n o p ti o n <G O >.

3. S witch on the V6 destination unit(s) in

RX mode. Press , and turn the

s el e ct i o n d ial t o < F L AS H S E T U P>. P r ess

a n d t u r n the d i a l t o <C OP Y P R OF I L E >.

Press . The LCD screen will show

<WAITING FOR TX>.

4. On the V6 sou rce unit, press to

conf ir m <GO>.

5. T he V6 units will start copying the ash

pr of iles.

6. W hen the ash prof iles are all copied

to the V6 destination units, the source

V6 u n it w i ll s h o w < FI N I SHED S E N D ING >

while the destination V6 units will show

<F I N ISH E D C O PYI N G > o n t he L C D s cree n . Yo u

may then leave th e menu.

Note:

If identical ash prof iles are found i n

both the sour ce V6 and destination V6, they will not be copied. For non-identical prof iles th at come with the sam e prof ile name, they will still be copied but the last letter of the newly added prof ile names will be m odif ied.

11. Flash Triggering

To command the ash units in different

grou ps to f ir e:

1. Set the V6 transceivers to the correct

mode (transmitter to “TX”, receiver to “RX”). This will auto matically power on the transceivers (see Section 9.4).

2. Set both TX a nd RX to the sa me chan nel

(s e e S e ct io n 9.5).

3. Assign RX unit(s) to A, B, C, or D gr oup a n d a ct iv a t e t he g r o u p(s ) o n the T X (se e

S e ct i o n 9.6 ).

4. Connect the V6 RX to porta ble ashes or

studio str obes.

5. On the TX, press com pletely. The status LED of both TX an d RX should blink in green simultaneously. The portable

ashes or studio strobes will f ir e at the

same time.

6. Test re a particular group by pressin g

the gro up button and com pletely a nd simultaneously.

7. Attach the TX to the ca mera’s hot shoe. If your camera does not have a hot shoe, conne ct the TX to the camera using an

o pt i ona l P C s y n c c abl e (C A- 20 0).

8. Press the cam era’s shutter release

b ut t o n. T h e  a s hes o n t h e R X s w il l f i r e

wirelessly and in sync.

Ti ps: The V6 tran sceiver can trigger

p ort a b le  a s h e s w it h or w it h o ut r e m o t e

power control. If you wish to wir elessly trigger the slave ashes w ithout controlling their p ower levels, choose

t he < M A N U A L > a s h s y st e m i n t he <CH O O S E PROFILE> menu.

12. Remote Manual Power

Control

Apart fro m ash triggering, the V6 can also command the manual power of your ash. O n each RX, ch oose the appropriate a sh prof ile for e a c h a s h t o b e c o n n ec t e d. T h e V 6 T X w il l t h e n b e a bl e t o c o m m a n d t h e  a s h t o

f ire fro m 1/128 to 1/1 full power. V6 offers two power def initions for users to co mma nd

the ashes’ power in the most convenient

w ay.

To remotely control the power of yo ur ash

u nit s:

1. Connect the ash units to the V6.

2. S witch on the ash units in TTL mode.

Then switch on the V6 in RX mode.

3. C h o o se t he c o r r e ct  a s h p r o  le for each V6.

12.1

Relative Power

Similar to a co mmon ash display, the V6 TX

indicates the power level of the remote ashes in proportion to full power in relative power mode, i.e., 1/1 for full power, 1/2 for half power, etc. Upon switching on the V6 in TX mode, the LCD will

show the relative power levels of all activated groups.

Note that the sma ll single digit indicates the incre ment between ma jor power levels.

12.1.1 Single Group Power Adjustment

There a re two ways to a djust the power level of a pa rticular slave group.

1. Press a nd hold the grou p button until the power level of the chosen g roup is high lighted on the LCD. Tur n the selection dial to the desired p ower level. Press shortly the gr oup button to leave the group selection.

2. Short cut: Press a nd hold the group button and tu rn the selection dial simultane ously. Once the adjustment is f inished, release the g roup button.

You may also ad just the power level of the

master  ash that you have mounted on the V6

T X m ulti- sy s t e m s ho e (fe m a l e).

1. Make sure that the TT L pass-throug h mode

h a s n ot b e en a c tiv ate d (se e S e c ti o n 8).

2. Press a nd turn th e selection dial simultane ously to chan ge the power level

of the master ash.

12.1.2 Multi-Group Power Adjustment

To adjust the power level of ALL active grou ps, simply turn the selection dial left or right to the desired power level.

Note: T he power level of the master ash is

not affected by the multi-gr oup adjustment.

12.1.3 Quick Power Adjustment Mode

By turning the dial left or rig ht one

“click,” the power level of the chosen

grou ps will increase or de crease by one step. The EV step in the V6 factor y setting is 1/3 EV. T he EV step can be co nf ig ured to

1/ 2, 1 /3, o r 1/ 10 i n t h e <EV S T E P > me n u (s e e

S e ct i o n 12 .3).

If you wish to quickly ch ange the p ower level using a lar ger interval, use the quick power ad justment mode.

1. In the ma in screen of the V6 in TX mo de, press once to enter the quick power adju stment m ode.

2. In this mo de, each click of the dial will increase or decrease the power level for 1EV to and from the orig inal value respectively. For exa mple, if the power

le v e l of a g r o u p w a s 1/1 6 +3 , o n e cli c k

of the selection dial will increase the

power level to 1/8 +3 or decrea se it to 1/ 32 +3 .

3. Once you have f inished the quick cha nge, press once again to leave the quick power ad justment mode. Each click of the dial ther eafter will increa se or decrease the power level in accordance with the setting you have ma de in the <EV

S TEP > m e n u.

12.2

Absolute Power

If you want to coordinate the lig ht output

of multiple ashes with different maxi mum

power outputs, the reg ular power r atios such

a s “1 /4 ” o r “1 /8” m a y n ot b e as h e lp f u l. T h e output of one powerful ash m odel at “1/8”

can be hi gher tha n that of another, weaker

 a s h m o d el a t “1 /4.” F or t h i s r eas o n , th e V6 offers an “absolute power” mo de in wh ich EV

numbers can be used to specify an absolute light inten sity, independent of the ma ximu m

power output of a ash model.

The power levels in guide number have been rescaled to the absolute power schem e in EV as belo w:

ABSOLUTE LIG HT

INTENSIT Y IN EV

17 58.0 64.4 6 9.0 73 .9

16 41.0 4 5.5 48.8 52.3

15 29.0 32.2 3 4.5 3 6.9

14 20 .5 22 .7 24.4 26.1

13 14.5 16.1 17. 2 18 .5

12 10.3 11.4 1 2.2 13.0

11 7.2 8.0 8.6 9.2

10 5.1 5 .7 6.1 6.6

9 3.6 4.0 4.3 4.6

8 2.6 2.8 3.0 3.2

7 1.8 2.0 2.1 2.3

6 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6

G UI D E NU M B ER S (I N M E T ER S)

+0.0 + 0.3 +0 .5 + 0.7

When setting u p the absolute power mo de, the

V6 TX will collect the ash prof iles being

selected by the RX u nits in the same ch annel and rescale them to the unif ied lig ht intensity scale. The following example shows how the mo del-specif ic relative power scales are tra nslated into the absolute power sc ale.

R EL A T IV E L IG H T I N TE N SI T Y S CA L E

ABSOLUTE LIG HT

INTE NSITY SCALE IN EV

17 GN58

16 1/2 GN41

15 GN29 1/4 1/2

14 1/2 1/8 GN21 1/4

13 1/4 1/16 1/2 1/8

12 1/8 1/32 1/4 1/16

11 1/16 1/64 1/8 1/32

10 1/32 1/128 1/16 1/6 4

9 1/64 1/32 1/1 28

8 1/128 1/64

7 1/128

O F 4 F L AS H ES W IT H D IF F E RE N T F U L L

POWER GU IDE NUMBER S

FLASH AFLASH BFLASH CFLASH

W h e n y o u s et a l l  a s h es t o 1 1 E V (s e e italicized section in the above table) in

absolute power mode, all ashes will e mit

the sam e intensity of light notwithstanding the differences in their own relative power sc ale. For instance, at 11 EV, Flash A is

f iring the a mount of light e qual to its 1/16 power, while Flash C is f iring eq ual to its 1/8 power.

To chan ge the V6 system to the a bsolute power mo de:

1. Switch on the remote V6 in RX mo de.

Choose the corr ect ash prof iles for

each of the V6 RXs.

2. Switch on the V6 that you w ould like to be the com mander in TX mode. Make su re that it is on the same channel as the RX units. Press . Turn the selection dial

to <POWER MODE> and press . Tu rn the s el e ct i o n d ial t o < A B SOL U T E (S E T U P)> a n d

press to co nf ir m.

3. T he V6 TX w ill then collect the  ash prof iles f rom the V6 RX u nits and set up the absolute power level sche me. Once the set up is f inished, the LCD display will return to the main screen again a nd show

the absolute light intensity of the four gr ou ps.

4. Adjust the po wer level as you do in

relative power mode (see Section 12.1).

Each f igu re before decimal place represe nts 1 EV and the sm aller f ig ure thereafter 1/10 EV.

5. Set all the activated groups to the sam e power level. Test f ir e the slaves and determi ne whether they pro duce the same

ash output.

6. If the initial set up is not accur ate enoug h, you may offset the absolute power scale of each group. Press an y grou p button and simultaneously to get into the offset mode for that group. F or e x a m p le , if t h e  a s h o ut p u t of grou p A is slightly stronger than the other grou ps at the same absolute power levels, press and simultaneously. The LCD screen will show <GROUP A

O FF S E T >. T u r n the s e lec tio n d i a l lef t o r

right to a djust the power scale fr om -1EV to 1EV. Press to r eturn to the m ain scr een.

Note: The absolute power set up will not be

saved upon switching off the V6 TX. The V6 TX will restar t in relative power mode.

12.3

EV Step

The control pa nel of the V6 TX offers three EV step options: 1/10 EV, 1/3 EV, a nd 1/2 EV. The conf ig uration applies to both relative and absolute power modes.

To adjust the EV step, switch on the V6 in TX mode a nd press . Turn th e selection dial

to <EV STEP>. Press a nd turn the dial to t he d e s ired i n c r e m e nt l e vel (1 /1 0, 1 /3 , o r

1/2). Press to conf ir m.

No te s:

1. The selected E V step will be memorized upon switchin g off and will be applied when switchin g on agai n.

2. In the q uick power adjustment mode

(s e e S e ct io n 1 2.1.3), t h e c o nf i g u r e d E V

step will be replace d by the 1EV step ch an g es.

12.4

Lo Power

At the Lo Power level, the relative power

output of a ash trigg ered by the V6 is

roug hly equa l to 1/256. The difference between 1/128 and 1/256 power outputs may be hardly detected by ash meter, but the extrem ely short f iring du ration helps freeze faster-than-lightning moments an d is ideal for high-speed photography.

To enable Lo Power:

1. Switch on the V6 in TX mode and pr ess .

T u r n t he s e l ec t io n d i a l to < Lo P OW ER >

and press . Tu rn the selection dial to <ON> and press .

2. Once the L o Power is enabled, the Lo

Power will be shown as <Lo> at one step

below 1/128 power in th e relative power mode, or one step below the lowest power of each group in the absolute power mo de.

3. To disable the Lo Po wer output, follow step 1 to enter the Lo Power menu. Turn t he s e lec t io n d i a l t o <OF F > a n d press .

13.1

Basic Setup

13. Camera Shutter Release

Note:

This fu nction requires th e use of a separately purchased shutter release cable for connection betwee n the transceiver an d camera. This cable is NOT included in the V6 transceiver package.

A minimum of two Cactus V6 transceivers is required to operate Cactus V6 as a wireless shutter release.

1. Connect the V6 RX to you r camera u sing an appropriate shutter release cable.

2. Set both the V6 TX a nd RX to the sa me chan nel. On the V6 TX, activate the grou p assigne d to the V6 RX.

3. Half-press on the TX to test the auto focus. The status LED on both the TX and R X will turn OR ANGE to indicate auto focus. Press c omplet ely on th e TX for shutter release. The status LE D on both tran sceivers will turn GREE N to indicate shutter release.

13.2

Bulb Mode

1. Set the ca mera to Bulb.

2. Press co mpletely and hold o n the V6 TX. The status LED on the V6 TX and V6 RX will turn g reen at f irst and go off after approxi mately 2 seconds. The LC D display

w il l s h o w <B U L B M O DE O N>.

3. Release on the V6 TX. The ca mera’s shutter is now in a continu ous open state.

4. To close the ca mera’s shutter, press com pletely a nd release on the V6 TX again. The green status L ED on both the TX and R X will blink simultane ously.

13.3

Relay Mode: Camera Shutter + Flash

The relay mode in the V6 is an e conomic solution for coordinating the wireless

shutter release with ash trigger systems.

With relay capability, you need only 3 transceivers to wirelessly control both the

camer a and a ash unit at one time.

1. Make sure that all the V6 un its are set to the same chan nel.

2. Set the V6 that you would like to use as the ha ndheld rem ote as TX, then all others as RX.

3. Mou nt one of the V6 RXs onto the ca mera’s hot shoe, and also connect the V6 RX to the cam era’s shutter releas e port with an appr opriate shutter release cable

(optional). Con nect the other V6 RXs to t he  a s h u n its .

4. On the on-camera V6 RX, press . Turn

the selection dial to <RELAY>. Pr ess . T u r n t he s e l ec t io n d i a l to < ON>. P r e s s

to conf irm a nd then press to

return to the main screen. The relay

m o de i n dic a to r < R E L- C > w i ll a p p e a r o n

the main scr een.

5. In the ha ndheld V6 TX un it, press .

T u r n t he s e l ec t io n d i a l to <R EL A Y >. P r es s

a n d t u r n the d i a l t o <O N>. P r e s s ,

then press to retur n to the main screen. The r elay mode ind icator REL will replace the ch annel in dicator.

6. By pressin g on the T X, both the

camer a and ash units will be trigger ed

and sy nc with each other. In addition, you will also be a ble to control the power level of the ashes with your V6 T X.

7. To exit the Relay mo de in both TX and RX units, press a nd turn the selection

dial to <RELAY>. Press and tu rn the selection dial to <OFF>. Press and

then press to retur n to the main scr een.

14.1

Optical Trigger

14. Advanced Operations

The optical trigger can act as an alternative trigger me chanism th an the radio signal. For instance, it is very

u sef u l t o cap t u r e pre-  a s h si g n a l s t h at a r e being emitted earlier than the ash sync. Setting the pre-ash trigger ed optical trigger with the dela y timer (see Section

14. 2) c a n s et t h e e x act t i me for t h e  a s h t o

start f iri ng.

Two optical trig ger modes, S1 and S2, are available for selection:

S1: Triggeri ng on the f irst pre- ash, or on the mai n ash if there is no pre-ash. S2: Ignorin g pre-ashes and triggerin g on t he m a i n  a s h.

1. Switch on the V6 in TX or RX mode, press

, and turn the selection dial to

<OPTICAL SLAVE>. Press .

2. Tur n the selection dial to S1 or S2 and press .

3. The main screen in the V6 RX will show

the status of the optical trigger (see

S e ct i o n 6.2 ).

14.2

Delay Timer

Every V6 is eq uipped with a delay timer th at is conf igu rable in either the TX or RX mode.

The delay tim er delays the trigg er response for the time period set. If you wish to f ire

the ash a bit later than the f irst cu rtain

sync to create a different light effect

(e. g., t o a c h ie v e a s e co n d c u r t ain s y n c), s e t

an appr opriate delay time fr om

1 m il l i se c o n d t o 10 se c o nd s ( 9,9 99m s).

1. Switch on the V6 in TX or RX mode, press

, and turn the selection dial to

<DELAY>. Press .

2. Turn the dial to <SET> a nd press .

Tur n the dial to set each dig it and press

to conf irm a nd move to a nother digit.

3. The main screen in the V6 RX will show the status of the delay tim er (see S e ct i o n 6.2 ).

15. Personalizing the V6

You may cong ure a number of personalized

options in the SUB-MENU of the V6 to suit your nee ds. Press a nd turn the s election dial to <SUB-MENU>, then press . Tu rn the selection dial again w ill scroll throug h all the person alized options.

15.1

Selection Dial Direction

15.2

Swap Control

I n <DI A L DI R E C T IO N >, the s e lec tio n d i a l of the V6 ca n be con gu red to o perate in a <CLOCKWISE> or <ANTI-CLOCKWISE> direction.

To increa se the power level in the main screen, for exa mple, you would have to turn the selection dial to the left in the clockwise setting, or tur n it to the right

in the anti(counter)-clockwise setting.

In the mai n screen of the V6 TX, pressing or the push-in selection dial once will chan ge it to one of the following modes:

• Quick Power Adjustment Mode <QUICK POWER

ADJ>: expan ding the power adjustment to 1 E V ste p (se e S e c ti o n 12.1 .3).

• Zoom (Cactus) M ode <ZOOM (CACTUS)>:

controlling the zo om level of the Cactus

R F60 (s e e S e cti o n 16.1. 1).

T h is c a n b e c o n  g u r e d i n < SW A P C O N TRO L >.

15.3

LCD Backlight Timer

15.4

Sleep Timer

The LCD ba cklight of the V6 will turn on whenever , , th e selection dial or a ny of the group buttons has been pr essed or turne d. In order to conser ve energy, there is a timer setting that automatically

t u r ns of f t h e bac k l ig ht . In < LCD B A CKLI G H T>, c hoo s e f r o m < OF F >, < 5 SEC S >, <15 SEC S > o r <STAY ON>.

To conser ve energy w hen you forget to switch off the V6 after use, the sleep timer will switch the V6 to the sleep mode after a

specied period. In <SLEEP>, choose from <OF F >, < 15 M INS > o r <6 0 M I NS>.

To wake up th e V6 from the sleep mo de, press any button or turn the selection dial once. Local trig gering via a hot shoe or x-sync port also awakens the V6.

Note: Wireless trig gering w ill not wake up

the V6 RX un its remotely.

15.5

Working Range

15.6

Factory Reset

The worki ng distance of the V6 can b e customize d to suit your shooting p urpose.

In <WORKING RANGE>, choose <SHORT> when you

need to place the V6 TX units very close to

t he R X u n it s (e. g., w h e n s h o ot i n g m a cr o), o r c hoo s e < L ON G > f or n o r m a l s h ot s. W h il e t h e <SHORT> option will reduce the ma ximu m

effective distance of the V6 by approxi mately 70%, it will eliminate the interference caused by placing the V6 TX a nd RX un its in close proxi mity.

To retrieve to the orig inal ma nufacturing setting of the V6 and eras e all the custom

ash proles, use Factory Reset. In the <FACTORY RESET> sub-menu, press a nd t u r n t h e d ial t o < Y ES>. T h e s c r een w i l l s ho w <CONFIRM?>. Press t o c o n  r m.

Note: Factor y Reset will erase AL L custom

 a s h p r o l e s y ou h a v e s av e d i n t h e V 6.

16. Working with Cactus Gear

The V6 tran sceiver is compatible with the Cactus Wireless Flash RF60, Wireless Flash Trigger V5, and Laser Trigger LV5.

LV5 SENSOR

CAMERA

LV5 EMITTER

RF60

16.1

RF60

16.1.1 R F60 as Slav e

RF60

CAMERA

With the built-in Cactus V6 module, the Cactus RF60 can b e remotely com mand ed and trigger ed by the V6 TX.

Note:

The Cactus V6 ca n specify up to 1/10 EV step and co mmu nicate it with the RF60; however, the RF60 will only display th e nearest 1/3 E V step.

To control the power level of the RF60 Slave:

1. Set the V6 and the RF60 to the sam e ch a nn el.

2. Activate the group assig ned to the RF60 Slave on the V6 TX.

3. Adjust the po wer level of each group as you would with the V6 RX.

To control the zoo m level of the RF60 Slave:

1. Conf igure the swap co ntrol to Zoom

(Cactus) mode (see Section 15.2).

2. In the main screen of the V6 TX, press

once. The zoom levels of the activated

grou ps 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). T he zoom control supports both single g roup and m ulti-g roup adju stments.

Note: The zoom level set in the V6 TX will

N O T c o nt r ol t he z o o m l e ve l s of t h e  a s hes o n

the V6 RX.

You may also combine the RF60 with other V6-

c o m pa t ib l e TT L  a s h es t o f o r m a r e m ot e  a s h

control system. For exa mple, assign a RF60

to gr oup A, a Canon 580EX II (with a V6 RX) to gr oup B, and a Nikon SB-900 (with another

V6 RX) to group C. The V6 TX w ill be able to trigger them all and set their p ower levels in either relative or absolute power mode.

16.1.2 RF60 as Ma ster

RF60 MASTER

RF60 SLAVE

CAMERA

You may assig n the RF60 as master on the camer a’s hot shoe and let it trigger a nd command other RF60 Slave a nd V6 RX units. While the RF60 Master can control the po wer and zoom levels of the RF60 Slave, zoom control is not suppor ted when worki ng with the V6 RX un its.

16.2

V5 and LV5

The Cactus V6 tra nsceiver can work in pair s with the Cactus V5 or LV5 for wireless trigger ing without group control. They all

share the same 2.4GHz, 16-cha nnel platform.

Since the V5 and LV5 do not support g roups and remote power control, the V6 TX will trigger a ll V5s, independent of which gr oup it considers active. Similarly, both V5 and LV5 will trigger a ny V6 RX, independent of which group the V6 RX has be en assigned to.

17. LED Signal Guide

STATUS INDICATOR ON TX INDICATOR ON R X

Flash trigg ering Green

Shutter triggeri ng Green

Half-press auto focusi ng

Power le vel com ma nd r eceiv ed

Bulb mode activatio n

Bulb mode deac tivation

Low battery R ed ( ev er y 3 s e co n ds )

Firmwa re update mode

Orange

N/A Orange

Gr e e n (fo r 2 s ec o nd s)

Green

R ed ( ev er y 0 .5 s ec o nd )

18. USB Connection

The V6 tran sceiver comes with a mini-USB port that ser ves two purp oses: providing extern al USB power an d for f ir mware updates

18.1

External USB Power

18.2

Firmware updates

Apart f rom AA batteries, the Cactus V6 can also be powered by a 5V DC, 500~1,000mA extern al USB power device. Check with the specif ications of your USB p ower device to determi ne the compatibility with the V6 transceiver.

Note: Ex ternal USB Power cannot cha rge the

recha rgeable batteries inside the V6 battery co mpa rt me nt.

Cactus will r elease new  rmware for the V6

from time to time. Get your V6 updated via the USB connection.

To check the r mwar e version of the V6,

press and hold and , then switch on the V6 in TX or RX m ode at the sam e time. The

LCD display will show the r mware version

installed in the unit. Release the buttons,

the LCD display will return to the main screen aft er 3 seconds.

To perform a rmware update when available:

1. Switch off the V6 and re move the batterie s inside.

2. Connect it with a computer via the Cactus

m i ni- US B c a ble M U -1 (o p ti o n a l).

3. Press a nd hold , then switch on the V6 in TX or RX m ode at the same time.

4. T h e V 6 i s n o w i n  r m w a r e u p dat e m o d e.

The status LED blin ks in red r apidly. T he  r m w a r e u p dat e p r ogra m w ill t h e n recog nize the connected V6 and start the up gr ad e.

Pleas e visit w w w.ca ctu s-i mag e.co m/ v6.h tm l for more i nformation.

Firmw are updates only work on Microsoft Windows platform. Mac OS is not supported.

19. Optional Accessories

1. Wireless Flash RF60

2. Laser Trigger LV5

3. Shutter Release Cables

(Cactus Shutter Cables a re 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 Ca ble CA-200

- 3.5m m Plug Cable w/6.35mm Plug adapter CA-360

5. USB to min i USB cable MU-1

6. Lanyard CL-1

20. Troubleshooting

Before readi ng this section, ensure that the Cactus V6 transceiver have be en set up

c or r e c tl y (f o ll o w i n g the i n s tr uc t io n i n

Section 8-14 of this ma nual). If the pro blem persists after cond ucting the troubleshootin g steps, contact your seller directly for fur ther assistance.

1. Wrong Flash Power Fired

LCD DISPLAY POSSIBLE CAUSE SOLU TION

RX di splays wron g power levels

RX di splays corr ect powe r levels

More tha n one TXs are contr olling the

 as h p o w er o f

the RXs

1. The chosen

ash prof ile

does not match

t he  a s h mo d el

2. T h e a s h is i n

a wron g operation mode

(e. g. M m o d e)

3. A wrong E V offse t has been set in the absolute power mo de

- Always use ON E TX only in a set up

- Set all transceivers to another channel

Choose th e correct

ash prof ile or

learn a ne w one

Check an d set the

 as h t o t he T T L

mode

Check an d reset the EV offset of the gro up concerne d

2. Flash Prof ile Lea rnin g Fails

LCD DISPLAY POSSIBLE CAUSE S OLUT ION

LCD shows error messages

during ash

lear ning

1. T h e a s h

model is not supported

2. T h e a s h is

3. The distance between the wall an d the V6 is too close or too far

4. The ambient light around the scene is too pr ominent or un stable

Check Section

7.1.3 for the co mpa tibilit y of

 as h m o d el s fo r ash prof ile

lear ning

Replace the batterie s of the

ash

- Position the V6

a n d t he  a s h facing a white wall at a dist anc e of 1 meter

- Use a light stand or tripo d to f ix the po sition of the V6

Try performing

t he  a s h le ar n i n g

in an enclose d space with low an d stable ambie nt light

3. Flash Misf ire (Unexpected Flash Firing)

LED B LINKS? P OSSIBLE CAUSE S OLUT ION

TX: N o RX: No

TX: N o RX: Yes

(Gr ee n)

Poor hot shoe condition

1. B ack g ro un d radio interference

2. TX and RX transceivers are placed t oo close to each other

3. O ptic al Trigger has been switched on and trig gered by unexpected am bient lig ht

- Adjust tightness of hot shoe conta ct

- Clean the hot sho e contacts of the V6 with a clean cloth

- Set both transceivers to another channel

- Chan ge setup location a s interference ma y come fr om other equipment in the surroundin g area

Choose <SHORT> in

the workin g range sub-menu

Switched off the optical tri gger, as it may not work in th at environment

4. Slow Synchr onization (Delayed Flash)

LED B LINKS? P OSSIBLE CAUSE S OLUT ION

TX: Ye s

(Gr ee n)

RX: Yes

(Gr ee n)

TX or RX: Yes (R e d ev er y 3 s ec on d s)

1. Shutter speed is faster tha n th e c a me ra’s x-sy nc limitation

2. Delay timer has bee n set

3. Insuff icient battery power

Adjust t he camera’s shutter speed to t he maximum supported x-sync speed

Tur n off the delay timer or adjust the delay timer to a correct sy nc tim e

Replac e batteries and r etry

5. Flash Not Triggered/Shutter Not Released

LED B LINKS? POSSIBLE CAUSE SO LUTIO N

TX: N o RX: No

1. Poor battery conta ct or ins uff icien t battery on TX

2. Poor hot shoe condition

Replac e batteries on TX an d retry

- Adjust tightness of hot shoe conta ct

- Clean the hot sho e contacts of the V6 with a clean cloth

LED B LINKS? POSSIBLE CAUSE SO LUTIO N

TX: Ye s

(Gr ee n)

RX: No

1. Poor battery conta ct or battery out of power on R X

2. Channel a nd gro up mism atch

3. B ack gr ou nd radio interference

4. Beyond 100m effe ctive range

5. TX and RX transceivers are placed t oo close to each other

Replace the batterie s in the RX an d retry

Ensu re both transceivers are set to the sa me chan nel and the grou p assigned to the RX ha s been activated on the TX

- Set both transceivers to another channel

- Chan ge setup location a s interference ma y come fr om other equipment in the surroundin g area

Make su re TX and RX transceivers are placed w ithin

10 0 m (32 8 ft) o f

each other

Choose <SHORT> in

the workin g range sub-menu

LED B LINKS? POSSIBLE CAUSE SO LUTIO N

TX: Ye s

(Gr ee n)

RX: Yes

(Gr ee n)

1. Poor hot shoe conta ct

2. Flash used is not c omp atible with the V6

3. Poor cable connection

4. Wrong cable

is u se d (o n l y

when the V6 is used as a Wirele ss Shutter Release)

- Adjust tightness of hot shoe conta ct

- Clean the hot sho e contacts of the V6 with a clean cloth

Check that the  as h u s e d i s co mpa tible w ith t he V 6 (s e e Section 7.1)

- Check the cable connection

- Chan ge the cable

Ensur e that an appropr iate shutter release cable is used

21. Notices

Notic es for Custo mers in th e U.S.A .

Federal Com munications Commission (FCC)

Radio Fre quency Interference Statements.

This equipment has be en tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursua nt to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These lim its are designed t o provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate ra dio frequency energy a nd, if not installed a nd used in accor dance with the instructions, may cau se harmful interference to r adio comm unications. However, there is n o guarantee th at interference will n ot occur in a particular in stal lation.

If this equipm ent does cause ha rmful interference to r adio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equip ment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving anten na. Increase the separation between th e equipm ent and receiver. Conne ct the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is conne cted. Consult the dealer or a n experienced radio/TV tech nician for help.

H A R V ES T O N E L I MIT E D A N D T H E M A N U FAC T U R E R OF T H IS W I R E L E SS F L A S H T R ANSCEIV ER IS NOT

RESPONSIBLE F OR ANY RADIO OR TV

INTER FERENCE CAUSED BY UNAU THORIZED M O DI F IC A TI O NS T O T HIS E Q U IPM E N T. S U C H MODIFICATIONS COULD VOID THE USER AUTHORITY T O OP E R A T E T H E E Q UIP M E N T

FCC ID: VAAWFTV6

MADE IN CHINA

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the

following two conditions: (1) this device m a y n ot c a u s e ha r m f u l in t er f er e n c e, a n d (2)

this device mu st accept any interfer ence received, includin g interference that ma y cause u ndesired oper ation.

R&TTE Declaration of Conformity (DOC)

We, Harvest One Li mited, 9D On Shi ng Industrial Buildin g, 2-16 Wo Liu Hang Road, Fo Tan, Hong Kong, declare u nder

our ow n responsibility that the product:

Cactus Wireless Flash Tr ansceiver V6

is in conformity with the essential requirements an d other relevant requirements of the R&TTE Dir ective

(1999/5/EC).

This pro duct, Cactus Wireless Flash Tran sceiver V6, is in co nformity with the provisions of EU Cou ncil Di rect ive: 199 9/5/E C.

The crossed-out wheeled bin mea ns that within the Eu ropean Union the product mu st be disposed separately at the end of the product cycle. Do not dispose thisproduct with other mu nicip al wa ste.

22. Warranty

The limited w arranty set forth below is

given by Ha rvest One Limited in the world

with respect to the Cactus br and Wireless Flash Tra nsceiver purchased with this limited warranty.

Your Cactus Wireless Flash Tr ansceiver or other contents, when delivered to you i n new condition in its original container, is warr anted aga inst defects in materials or workmanship as follows: for a period of one

(1) y e a r f r o m t he d a t e of o r i g i nal p u r c h a s e,

defective parts or a defective Wireless Flash Tra nsceiver returne d to our authorized dealers, as applicable, a nd proven to be d efective upon insp ection, will be repaired with new or comp arable rebuilt parts or exch anged for a new Wireless Flash

Tran sceiver as determi ned by Harvest One

Limited or the authorized dealers.

This limited warranty shall only apply if the Wireless Flash Tr ansceiver is used in

conjunction with co mpatible camera and ash e q uip m e n t, a s t o w hic h it e m s, H a r v e s t O n e

Limited, shall have n o responsibility.

This limited warranty covers all defects encounter ed in normal use of the Wireless Flash Tra nsceiver, a nd does not apply in any of the following cases:

(a) Loss of or damage to the Wireless Flash

Tran sceiver due to abuse, mishan dling, impro per packagi ng by you, alteration, accident, electrical current

uctuations.

(b) Failure to follow operating, maintena nce

or enviro nmental i nstructions prescribed i n Cactus user’s manual.

other tha n Harvest One Limited or

authorized dealers.

(d) Without limiting the foreg oing, water

dam age, sand/corrosion da mage, battery leakag e, dropping the tra nsceiver, scratches, abrasions or da mage to the body, or dama ge to the hot shoe or PC cables, will be presum ed to have resulted fr om misuse, abuse or failure to operate the Wir eless Flash Tran sceiver as set forth in the operating instr uctions.

NO IMPLIED WA RRANTY, INCLUDING AN Y IMPLIED

WARRA NTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITN ESS FOR A PA R T IC U L A R P U R POS E , A PP L I E S T O T H E WIRELESS FLASH TRANSCEIV ER A F T ER T H E A PP L ICA B L E P ER I O D OF T H E E X P R E SS L I M I T E D WAR R A N T Y S T ATED A B O V E, A N D N O O T H E R E X PR E SS

WARRA NTY OR GUARANTY, EXCEPT AS MENTIONED

ABOVE, GIV EN BY AN Y PERSON OR ENTITY WITH R E SP E C T T O TH E W I R E L ES S F L A S H T R ANSCEIV ER S H A LL BIN D H A R V E S T ON E L I MIT E D . H A R V EST ONE LIMITED SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR LOSS OF

REVENUES OR PROFITS, INCON VENIENCE, EXPENSE FOR SU BSTITUTE EQUIPMENT OR

SERVICE, STORAGE CHARGES, LOSS OR CORRUPTION OF DATA OR ANY OTHER SPECIAL, INCIDEN TAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES CAUSED BY T HE USE OR MISUSE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, TH E WIRELESS F L ASH T R ANS CEIVER, R E GAR D LES S O F T H E L EGA L THEORY ON WHICH THE CLAIM IS BASED, AN D EVEN I F H A R V EST O N E L I M IT E D H A S B E E N A D V IS E D O F T H E P OS S I BI L I T Y OF S U C H DA M AGE S . I N NO E V E N T SHALL RECOVERY OF AN Y KIND AGAINST HA RVEST O N E L I MIT E D G R E ATER I N A M O U N T T H A N T H E P U RC H A S E PRI C E OF T H E C A CTUS W I R E L ESS F L A S H TRANSCEIVER S O L D B Y H A R V E ST O N E L I M ITE D O R ITS AUTHORIZED DEAL ERS AND CAUSING THE A L L EGE D D A M A GE . W I T HO U T L I M I TI N G T H E

FOREGOING, YOU ASSUM E ALL RISK AND LIABILITY

FOR LOSS, DAMAGE OR INJ URY TO YOU AND YOUR

PROPERTY A ND TO OTHERS AND THEIR PROPERTY

ARISING OUT OF USE OR MISUSE OF, OR INABILITY T O US E , T H E C AC T U S W IR ELES S F L A S H TRANSCEIVER N O T CA U S E D DI R E C T LY B Y T H E

N E GLI G ENC E O F H A RVES T O N E L I MIT E D. T H IS L I M I T ED WAR R A N T Y SH A L L N O T E X T E N D T O ANYONE OTHER THA N THE OR IGINAL PURCHASER OF HARVEST ONE LIMITED, OR THE PERSON FOR WHOM I T W AS P U R C H A SED A S A G I FT , A N D S TA T E S YOU R

EXCLUSIVE REMEDY.

Corporate Oﬃce:

H A R V ES T O N E L I MIT E D 9D O N S H IN G I N D. B L D G., 2- 16 W O L IU H A N G R OAD, F O TA N, H O N G KO NG

PLEASE CON TACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER FOR CUS TOMER SERVICE.

w w w.ca ct us -ima g e.com

Cactus V6, Wireless Flash Transceiver V6 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual