The first question I asked when I started testing this trigger system in December was is it compatible with the existing cactus v4 system I own 4 receivers and 2 transmitters with. I was told no. So I decided to try some testing to see if I could get it to work the way I wanted it to. To get it to work the Cactus v4 transmitter has to be triggered by one of the Cactus V5 transceivers through either the hot shoe or the cable. I tested both.
The first test was with the Cactus V5 on the hot shoe of the camera and then I had the Cactus v4 transmitter on the hot shoe of the Cactus V5 transceiver. With this setup it was able to keep up with the native sync of my camera 1/250. So next I tried to connect it to the on camera V5 transceiver via cable. This triggers at 1/250 also. The problem with this method is the V4 transmitter is either on you hot shoe of the V5 that could accommodate a on camera flash for on axis key. Or if you had it connected via cable it would be flopping around on the cable.
Note: This is how the triggers would be set up on camera. I don’t have a second camera to take the picture of it on camera.
The next test was to put the V4 transmitter off camera on one of the receiving v5 transceivers. I tested this via sync cable. It worked well but with further testing I was able to only get 1/200 without banding with fresh batteries. This may be conditional so the sync speed my differ. This is caused in the delay I believe of the radio signal between the v5 transmitter and the v4 receiver. There are just to many wireless layers.. Rudy discussed the more technicalities of the radio delay in his review. Rudy’s Rants Cactus V5 Review
Over all the work around I believe is really useful. In both methods are very useable in most situations you run into in real world environments.
Note: Gadget infinity does not endorsee or support this method of triggering and are not responsible for any damage caused.. I also am not responsible for damage caused.
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[...] Incompatibility with cactus v4.. See work around here. [...]
4 Comments
Brian have you tried using your home made duo flash bracket to fire flashes and your v4′s transmitter. also how did you make the duo flash bracket?
thanks
Yes I have tried the v4 on dual flash it works fine. I made the bracket with a aluminum strip a hack saw and a drill press..
I was just trying this the other day, as I just got the V5′s in. I stacked the V4 onto the V5 as you did, but could not in any way get the flash to sync with the trigger. My flash would fire “just”prior to the shutter. I was wondering about changing the way the camera’s shutter opened pre or post, but I don’t know anything about that. Are you saying here, that you are firing the camera with a V5 remotely, and that the V4 that is mounted onto it is firing a flash with only a V4 on it? It appears that you have both again on the receiving side. I don’t understand that.
Thanks.
I was just trying this the other day, as I just got the V5′s in. I stacked the V4 onto the V5 and then both onto camera hot shoe, but could not in any way get the flash to sync with the trigger. My flash would fire “just”prior to the shutter. I was wondering about changing the way the camera’s shutter opened pre or post, but I don’t know anything about that. Are you saying here, that you are firing the camera with a V5 remotely, and that the V4 that is mounted onto it is firing a flash with only a V4 on it? Or are you saying that you mount the V4 onto the V5 that you use as a remote trigger? It appears that you have both again on the receiving side. I don’t understand that.
Thanks.