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Cactus V5 full review - comparison with V4 & PocketWizard Plus II
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Intro
Welcome to my review of the Cactus V5 from Gadget Infinity.
Please feel free to jump to a given chapter if you don't want to read the whole story.
The review ended up being much longer than planned, but I wanted to include different scenarios and answer critical questions.
I'd be happy to hear any comment/question about the review!
Disclaimer
I received 3 Cactus V5's (1*V5 Duo + 1 V5 Single) from Gadget Infinity at the end of 2010.
The company send them for free in order to get some feedback and to thank me for letting them use one of my pictures in the "When light dances 2" booklet:
They also sent me a shutter release cable for my D90.
As far as I can tell, the triggers are almost ready to be officially released, but the version I received was still subject to small modifications and improvements.
I've been using one Cactus V4 transmitter and two receivers for a year with decent results for personal use, but the need of rock-solid reliability for wedding coverage led me to buy 3 PocketWizard Plus II transceivers. While my set of V4's worked 90% of the time, I missed a few critical shots while using them and thought that a set of PW would be a good investment. The PW transceivers didn't disappoint, and I've been nothing but happy with them.
I've been using the V5's during the last 2 weeks with a Lumix LX5, a Nikon D40, a Nikon D90 and 3 flashes (Nikon SB600, SB-25 and SB-26).
Goal of this review
The following review is my honest attempt to answer those questions:
- are the V5's more reliable than the V4's?
- are the V5's+shutter release cable more reliable than the ML-L3 Nikon Wireless Remote Control for my D90?
- are the V5's as reliable as the PocketWizard Plus II?
- will the V5 still work after being dropped to the floor?
- would I feel confident bringing them as my only flash triggers for a wedding coverage?
- is there anything cool/geeky/interesting/unexpected about the V5's?
- apart from the reliability, what are the pros/cons of the different systems?
- what could be improved to get the ultimate flash trigger?
- whom are they good for?
Design
The V5 is bigger than the V4, and appears to be sturdier.
Its dimensions are approximately 8cm*6cm*3.5cm (8cm*7cm*4cm with stand). In comparison, PW Plus II are 3.6 cm*5.4 cm*10.2 cm
It has one male hot shoe on the bottom and one female hot shoe on the top.
The male hot shoe comes with a locking wheel that has 4 slits to allow for easier manipulation.
It has one status LED (can be off/green/orange/red) and a two-step release button.
The LED lays flat on the trigger and is relatively dim, so it cannot be seen from a long distance.
A mode switch lets you choose between Off, Transmitting mode (TX) and Receiving mode (RX). Unlike the Cactus V4's, V5's are transceivers: The trigger sitting on your camera is the same model as the one connected to your flashes. The only difference is the mode you chose.
A channel dial lets you choose between 16 channels.
A TX on channel n will fire every RX on channel n.
As an exception, a TX on channel 1 will fire every RX on channel 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.
The battery compartment is a kind of drawer in which 2 AAA batteries are inserted. The batteries fit tightly inside and have much less play (if any) than in the V4's.
Inside the box (V5 Duo - 59.95$)
Included with the 2 transceivers are:
2* Flash stands (similar to the Nikon AS-19, they can either support a transceiver or a flash.)
1* 3.5 plug cable
1* PC Sync Cable
1* 6.35mm Plug adapter
4* AAA Alkaline Batteries
1* "When Light Dances 2" Album
1* User manual
Inside the box (V5 Single - 34.95$)
Included with the transceiver are:
1* Flash stands
1* 3.5 plug cable
1* PC Sync Cable
1* 6.35mm Plug adapter
2* AAA Alkaline Batteries
1* User manual
Under the hood
* Radio frequency: 2.4 GHz
* Sync speed up to 1/1000s
* Maximum effective distance 100 m
* Multichannel triggering
* Operating Temperature -20°C to +50°C
* Flash voltage up to 300 V
* Camera voltage up to 6 V
Are the V5's more reliable than the V4's?
As long as the transmitter is properly placed on the camera hot shoe and the flash is correctly connected to the receiver (either on the female hot shoe or via the PC cable), the V5 will pop with 100% reliability within the V4 range (~30m).
If the V4 fires, the V5 will fire.
One problem I had with the V4's was that the batteries didn't fit perfectly in their compartment. If some torque was added to the receiver (e.g. with a flash mounted on the hot shoe), a bad contact would prevent the V4 from being powered. That could lead to 0% reliability in some cases.
The battery compartment on the V5 is much better designed. The drawer simply won't close if the batteries are not correctly into place.
One other problem I had with the V4's was that the sync speed was sometimes slower than 1/200s, and I'd either lose flash power or get dark banding at the bottom of the frame when shooting at 1/200s.
V5's sync up to 1/1000s, and I haven't had any problem during any of my tests.
V5 vs V4 : 1-0, hands down
Are the V5's with shutter release cable more reliable than the ML-L3 Nikon Wireless Remote Control for my D90?
update: Shutter cables are available there for $9.95
Given the fact that the ML-L3 only works:
- when the remote is directly pointed towards the camera
- when the remote sees the left front part of the camera (where the infrared sensor is installed)
- when the remote is within a few steps from the camera
I dare say that the V5's only have advantages in comparison to the ML-L3.
Sure, a pair of V5's and a shutter cable are probably more expensive (70$ vs 25$) than a ML-L3, but they work within a much larger range and without the need of a direct line of sight.
The other Nikon alternative is the ML-3 IR which costs 159$ and cannot be used to trigger flashes.
As a bonus, the two-step release button works just like the camera's: It focuses first with a half-push, then shots when fully pushed. If you keep pushing, you get continuous high speed shots. If you push for more than 2 seconds, you can use the camera Bulb mode: one more push will stop it.
I think the ML-L3 is only good for long exposures in Bulb mode. For everything else, the V5's with shutter cable will do a much better job.
They would have been a blessing for this shot:
V5 vs ML-L3 : 1-0, easily.
Are the V5's as reliable as the PocketWizard Plus II's?
While the two previous questions didn't require much efforts, I had to go the extra mile (800 feet, actually) in order to see any reliability difference between the V5's and the PW II's.
*) I couldn't find any difference indoor. Even with the camera and flashes being 40 meters, 2 glass doors and a wall away, both flash triggers would fire consistently, every single time at 4.5fps and 1/200s.
I never needed such a demanding indoor light setup.
*) With the Lumix LX5 or the Nikon D40, at typical studio distance (one or two meters), with 2 flashes on low power (at 1/16) and no ambient contribution, both triggers would fire at 1/1000s with as much flash exposure as with 1/200s. That means both triggers sync correctly at 1/1000s without cutting the flash pulse. At 1/1250s, the flash exposure lost about 2 stops, and at 1/1600s the picture was completely black with both remotes.
While the LX5 and D40 sync at any speed, the D90 has a sync speed of 1/200s. At 1/200s, the entire frame got exposed while at 1/250s a dark band appears at the bottom of the frame. Neither the PW II's nor the V5's use Auto FP or High Speed Sync.
*) Since I couldn't find any winner/loser indoor, I decided to go for a more challenging "lighting setup":
* outside at night
* ambient temperature of -10°C (14°F)
* in direct line of sight
* in a city environment with a lot of Wifi routers/Microwaves/Cordless phones/Bluetooth
* two similar flashes (SB-25 & SB-26) at 1/16 power
* fresh AA & AAA's Duracell Plus "Long Lasting Power" 1.5V Alkaline for flash triggers
* full NiMH AA's for the flashes
* D90 at 4.5fps, 1/200s, 800ISO, f/11
* 18-200mm on manual focus
* one CTO gel on the V5 triggered flash
* one CTB gel on the PW triggered flash
* white balance set to daylight.
* v5 on my camera hot shoe and the pocket wizard on the V5 female hot shoe
Walking away from the light stand and shooting back at it, I could tell which strobe fired and which didn't.
An orange and blue double star would mean a draw, a blue star would mean a win for the PW, and an orange star would mean a win for the V5.
I tried the triggers separately (by removing the other one) as soon as only one fired in order to avoid risk of interferences.
To be perfectly honest : after my experience with both V4's and PW's and given the rated ranges of V5's and PW's, I really wasn't expecting any orange star.
<50m, 100% for both. No surprise here.
<100m, +80% for both. Already less than 100%? Maybe it has been caused by low temperatures or interferences with the busy environment. What's interesting is that the success or failure were dependent on my exact location (a few inches right or left), and that one of the strobe would always fire. An optical slave between both flashes would have secured 100% reliability.
<200m, ~50% for PW, 70% for V5. Wow. More orange stars than blue stars. o_O Now, that was unexpected! Anyway, at 200m (~650ft), my "lighting setup" looks like a 50 pixels star on a 12Mpix sensor with a 300mm equivalent lens. I guess I won't ever need this working distance. Plus, my girlfriend hates me for having to wait in the cold, next to the light stand (free flashes with a new V5 and a PW, anyone?) while I blind her 5 times a second.
I guess I could up my ISO, dial the flash to full power, use a fast lens and light a whole quarter with this working distance.
240m (That's the length of my street, measured with Google Earth), 0% for PW, 50% for V5. The PW doesn't answer at all, either on camera or with the test button. The batteries are full and the antennas are both vertical. What's interesting is that the PW's are at half the rated range, while the V5's are at more than double of theirs. It is too early to draw any conclusion, but that could mean PW states its best-case scenario while Gadget Infinity announces a possible working distance.
I didn't check my sync speed, but a successful flash in the middle of the frame seems to indicate a sync speed faster than 1/100s with the V5 at this distance.
I understand that the outstanding reputation of the PW doesn't come only from the fact that they fire with ~100% reliability out of the box, but also that they work just as well a few years of abuse later.
It's too early to say anything about the V5's as to their reliability in a few months/years.
My tests have not been extensive and thorough enough to draw definitive conclusions and pick a winner, but I dare say that both are ~100% reliable in ~99% of typical lighting scenarios. In more extreme situations, it could be a good idea to use both and slave them optically, since sometimes one failed while the other worked.
The fact that I had to use such a ridiculous lighting scenario to see any misfire means that both triggers are perfectly fine for typical assignments.
As far as "out of the box and 2 weeks later" reliability is concerned :
V5 vs PW Plus II : 1-1
Falling to the floor
I tend to let my triggers fall to the floor more than I'd like to admit.
Because of the wind, a loose screw, a drunk guest or plain carelessness, my triggers seem to plunge regularly :
* The PW took the abuse without complaining, even after a 3m fall on hard concrete. I got lucky on this one, since it fell flat on one side, and nothing got damaged.
* The V4's seemed fine at first after a few bails, but the batteries got looser than usual and bad contacts would occasionally lead to 0% trigger rate.
I felt pretty bad letting my brand-new V5 transceiver fall to the floor, but I'd feel even worse going to some critical photoshoot without knowing what would happen in case of a fall. So here comes :
* I let the transceiver fall to a wooden table from about 40cm (could happen while sorting lighting gear).
* I let the transceiver fall to a hard floor from about hip height (could happen while picking it from a pocket).
* I let the transceiver fall to a hard floor from about 1.80m, attached to a fully extended Manfrotto nano light stand, a shoot-through umbrella and a flash. (could happen because of the wind).
The transceiver didn't break, didn't get dented, and didn't show any sign of weakness after having been thrown to the floor.
The battery tray stayed in place, and the transceiver could still sync perfectly.
I broke the shaft of my double-fold umbrella, though. Well played, genius!
Hey Gadget Infinity, do you need any review for your umbrellas? :D
V5 vs My umbrella : 1-0
Would I feel confident bringing them as my only flash triggers for a wedding coverage?
It's too early for me to say.
I didn't find any problem yet, but I'd wait a few months to see how durable the V5's really are.
The only thing I can say is that it sure looks like they could deliver at a very demanding level.
Also, and as weird as it may sound, I'll make sure to always bring them as a backup for my PW Plus II.
They use batteries that I don't need otherwise (so I can keep 6 of them and be sure they're full), they don't need any PC sync cable, have a few interesting features (more info later) and have the same reliability at usual ranges.
Finally, the shutter release cable could be very useful for guests self-portraits at a wedding reception.
Yes, I'll bring them for wedding shoots.
No, I won't rely solely on them, at least not before I test them more extensively.
is there anything cool/geeky/interesting/unexpected about the V5's?
* Multi channel triggering.
a TX on channel 1 will trigger every RX on channel 1, 2,3,4 or 5.
With key lights on channel 2, a fill light on channel 3, a rim light on channel 4 and a background light on channel 5, a TX on channel 1 would fire them all.
To check the contribution to the exposure of one specific light, just switch the TX to the corresponding channel.
If you don't want to use this feature, just ignore it and it won't get in the way.
* Intervalometer.
With the camera connected to a shutter release and set to continuous shooting mode (e.g. CL or CH on Nikon), pressing the TX button during more than 2 seconds will keep on sending the release signal to the camera. The camera will happily fire at the chosen rate (depends on the camera & shooting mode) till the storage fills up or the TX button is being pressed again.
Free intervalometer FTW! :D
* Strobo mode
The V5 is the first trigger that I see that can fire my old SB-25 and SB-26 on strobo-effect mode. I'm eager to play with this mode and mix juggling or skateboarding with 20 flashes at 5Hz!!!
The weird spiral picture has been made with this mode, with 21 flashes at 10Hz.
Unknowns as of 6th 24th of January 2011
* Price $59.95 for V5 Duo, $34.95 for V5 single $9.95 for the shutter release cable
* Availability (24th of January with first shipment on 26th, according to Gadget Infinity website)
* Reliability after a few years
Pros
* Much more reliable than V4, the V5 competes in a new league
* Much sturdier than the V4's. Can fall down many times without any problem.
* Syncs at 1/1000s
* Can sync at 1/1250s, albeit with a 2 stops loss
* Tested at 39fps!
* As good as PW Plus II. An insane lighting setup is needed to see any difference in reliability
* Actually more reliable than PW's in some conditions
* No need for a PC sync cable
* Allows to use any other trigger on top of it
* Comes with useful accessories (small stand & PC and audio cables)
* Multichannel triggering is interesting in studio or low-accessibility places.
* 2 steps button for remote camera triggering
* Can be used as a simple intervalometer
* Only trigger I know that can fire old flashes with strobo-effect (e.g. Nikon SB-25/26). Great for action shots!
* Accept flashes with a voltage of up to 300 V (e.g. Vivitar 283)
* One receiver can fire two flashes at the same time : one on the hotshoe, one with PC cable. (Warning : strobes should have the same voltage)
* At 30$ a transceiver, you can get 3 good old flashes and 3 transceivers for the price of 2 PW's
* Who knows? The fierce competition could lower the price of PW II's
* Gadget Infinity has listened (and keeps on listening) to the Strobist community
* Surprisingly fast shipping from Hong Kong
Cons
* No TTL passthrough from male to female hot shoe
* No PocketWizard-like relay mode. You'll need 4 receivers and a shutter release cable in order to trigger one camera and one flash with a remote transceiver.
* No backward compatibility with V4
* No lanyard loop
* Can be difficult to see in which mode the transceiver is
* Some testers have reported difficulty to mount the V5 with their lighting gear. Google before buying!
* Relatively high battery consumption (Battery life of ~48h for a receiver with a pair of 1200mAh batteries)
* AAA's batteries in a housing that could take AA's
* Receivers don't work when they're a few centimeters apart from the transmitter. Use a cable!
My wishlist for the "V5 Plus II"
While I understand the goal of Gadget Infinity with the V5's (highest reliability at low cost), I really think they could produce the most awesome triggers with :
* Remote power control of the strobes
* Local and remote TTL
* Even sturdier housing
* AA batteries
* Backward compatibility with V5's
I'll make sure to tell them!
Conclusions
For enthutiasts:
* V4's are good enough. Gadget Infinity will continue to produce and ship them, at a lower price than the V5's (20$ vs 30$). No reason to upgrade if you don't plan to get more serious about photography.
* V5's are better than needed. If you don't own any trigger yet, they offer much more bang for the buck than the V4's
* PW Plus II are better than needed. Way too expensive.
For semi-pros:
* V4's begin to show their limits, and it can be a painful lesson to learn.
* V5's are perfect.
* PW Plus II are still expensive, but it might be a good investment in the long term.
For pros:
* V4's are a "noob tax".
* V5's just work. Much cheaper than the PW Plus (by a factor 5.7!). Interesting features (multi channel/strobo-effect on old flashes/intervalometer). Time will tell if they work as well in a few years. Interesting backup solution for those who already own PW.
* PW Plus II's just work. The reliability, reputation and compatibility come first, whatever the price is. Note that the serious competition from the V5's could lower the prices down. You can get 3 old Nikon flashes with optical slave and 3 V5's transceivers for the price of 2 PW transceivers.
Any question, remark, typo? Hit me in the comments!
Thanks for reading,
Eric Duminil
edits : typos, clarification, availability, price and links to other reviews.
Originally posted at 10:59AM, 6 January 2011 PDT
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eric.duminil edited this topic 29 months ago.
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(1 to 100 of 122 replies in Cactus V5 full review - comparison with V4 & PocketWizard Plus II)
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Typo, Under "Wish list"
* AA batteries
* Backward compatibility with V5's << do you mean V4's here? Got it!
Question:
Did I miss it? You mentioned "older strobes" about the "strobo effect"
Does this mean high voltage strobes as well ?
Detailed review, Kudos Eric!
Shaping up to be a V5 vs 603 week :)
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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David Sr. - edited this topic 30 months ago.
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thanks for sharing i want a v5 !!!
Posted 30 months ago.
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@David:
1) The "Wish list" is for a future Gadget Infinity product.
The V5 will be shipped soon, and it's probably too late to add any big feature.
I'd just like them to keep backward compatibility, that's it.
2) I have no idea about high voltage strobes. The "strobo effect" I mentioned is available on the SB-25 & SB-26, where the strobe can fire multiple flashes at a given frequency.
From
Repeating Flash This strobo-effect operation is selectable with the Speedlight SB-25, 'In which the flash fires continuously at selected rates, you can choose the length of time between flashes (1Hz to 50 Hz), the number of flashes and flash output amount.
Not sure if that helps you, but the female hot shoe can be used with flashes at a voltage of up to 300 V.
Posted 30 months ago.
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Great review..now I want to order some :)
Posted 30 months ago.
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Nice in-depth review! I posted it on my my review as well.
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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motleypixel edited this topic 30 months ago.
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eric.duminil
Wow that was a comprehensive, lucid very complete review.I think after reading this I will Buy A set for backup or maybe buy a bunch of them for those times when it seems I hang every light I have.This review is a great service to the strobist community.
Thank You
Posted 30 months ago.
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Very impressive test.. I have also linked you review to my review under the testing section because I don't have PWs to test against. :D brianhurseyphotography.com/blog/?p=196
Posted 30 months ago.
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eric.duminil says: "Not sure if that helps you, but the female hot shoe can be used with flashes at a voltage of up to 300 V. "
"Up to 300v" is EXACTLY the answer. Thats is an important specification for us dorks using old Vivitars and such. :) TY
EDIT:
I see you tested a High Voltage 283... Right-on ! TY
You listed 300V too. TY
603's off the radar, V5's on the A-list
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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David Sr. - edited this topic 30 months ago.
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Nice review! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to see how much they are!
Posted 30 months ago.
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Nice review!... they're looking quite well refined. One thing concerns me a little though -
"* Don't work when they're a few centimeters apart. Use a cable!"
What is going on there?
Posted 30 months ago.
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" Don't work when they're a few centimeters apart. Use a cable!"
What is going on there?"
They don't work when they are a few centimeters (or less) apart from the transmitter.
I don't see this as an issue.
On the V5 they decided to go for higher sensitivity. And when you are that close to the transmitter it can overload the input. The chip set that they used can be configured for a lower receive sensitivity.
Someone who can work with small surface mount components can change the jumpering on the RF board and put it into this lower gain setting. I did it to see the difference but then I modified it back to the normal state as I didn't see the need for it.
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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rudy__ edited this topic 30 months ago.
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What's interesting is that the PW's are at half the rated range, while the V5's are at more than double of theirs.
Yep. I find that interesting too.
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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☣ cUKi edited this topic 30 months ago.
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Maybe the PW's were just having a bad day :)
With my V5's I have had reliable (no failure) triggering out to 600 feet in the cold. But this was a limited test. It was just too cold for me. I did move another 50 feet and I was getting misses so I considered that too far.
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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rudy__ edited this topic 30 months ago.
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Thanks Rudy, I though that meant two receivers close together.
Posted 30 months ago.
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Very good review but I have 2 V4 Xmiters and 4 reciveres.. Not cost effective for me to jump ship to the latest and geatest.
Posted 30 months ago.
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Yeah that's how it could have been read. And considering that some of the older ebay triggers did have an issue when they were close together it was a valid concern.
Posted 30 months ago.
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No need to change if what you have works well enough for you. I have had issues with my older triggers so I will likely pick up some more of these as I have two already.
It is nice to have so many good options to pick from. If I had a bigger budget I would go for more features. But since I don't I'm just going for a simpler trigger that is reliable. (seems to be so far)
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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rudy__ edited this topic 30 months ago.
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Great info, thanks for the very thorough review. Once the price is finalized, it will be interesting to compare these to the upcoming Yongnuo RF-603 transceivers.
Posted 30 months ago.
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Why not compare them to the existing RF-602?
Posted 30 months ago.
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"Why not compare them to the existing RF-602?"
Great idea! Send me a RF-602 set and I will compare them to the Cactus V5 for you. ;)
Posted 30 months ago.
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Will these trigger a flash set to high speed sync, or would that require TTL?
Posted 30 months ago.
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@Digital Steve
These V5's won't transmit any proprietary information, so there's no High Speed Sync available.
They do sync correctly at 1/1000s though, but you need a camera that can also sync at this speed (D70/D40/LX5/Canon G...)
Posted 30 months ago.
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tby_v [deleted] says:
I have been happy with my V2s triggers for several years but have found them to be a tad unreliable of late.
I can see the V5 option as a goer for me.
Unless the 603 units are going to come along and surprise us all?
Posted 30 months ago.
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Regarding the strangeness during your range tests, I'd bet if you grabbed some off-camera hot shoe cords and put the two transmitters a couple or three feet apart the results would change. At the frequencies of interest, a pair of transmitters in close proximity, especially operating at the same time, can cause havoc for the transmitted signals.
I'd also be curious what would happen if you only fired one at a time, instead of both simultaneously. There might come a third result.
Posted 30 months ago.
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@nausball wouldn't the fact the PW and the v5 are on totally different radio spectrums null that out? But it would be something to test.
Posted 30 months ago.
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@mausball
I totally agree.
That's why I tested them separately as soon as one didn't work. From the review:
I tried the triggers separately (by removing the other one) as soon as only one fired in order to avoid risk of interferences.
I'm not even sure both transmitters can interfere (2.4GHz vs 433MHz), but I wanted to remove this possibility from the test.
I also tried to shoot from a slightly different position (one feet away) as soon as I got a misfire. I finally removed the PW from the camera and tried to fire with the Test button.
At 240m, I couldn't trigger any flash with the Plus II.
I think that not so many people tried their PW at 1600ft. Which really is no biggie, because almost nobody needs this insane range!
It might have been a bad day, it might have been too cold, there might have been too many RF noise in the environment, or the PW rated range might be slightly too optimistic.
Whatever the reason is, my test won't prevent photographers to enjoy the 100% PW reliability for typical shoots.
The real conclusion of this test is that for normal lighting setups, PW and V5 performances are indistinguishable!
Posted 30 months ago.
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I recently tested the new Pixel Bishop (claimed 200m range) alongside the current YongNuo RF-602 (claimed 100m range) and both were firing well over 200m, going by google maps it was close to 350m! (two sports fields length and a car park). The Bishops though were 100% reliable until they ran out of range, the RF-602 was about 200m reliable.
In an earlier tests the same set of RF-602 only did 110m in my street!
If your shooting sports at a sports field this could really make a difference (theres no question I'd take the Bishop's just in case) but in normal use this is so far I could not see a hint of the lightstand without the flash going off to show where it was.
I was able to get the 602's firing within 10m of the Bishop's at some times, but there is still a clear difference in their reliable range just as I'm sure the PW are more capable here.
The point is the range varies considerably but the base 100m range of the general 2.4ghz triggers is more than enough to have to be concerned with reliability unless your specificaly after long range use.
@ tby_v - the RF-603 have been announced -
www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157625706406246/
Posted 30 months ago.
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Is there a ball park price on the Bishops and the RF-603's yet?
Posted 30 months ago.
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@ Brian - The RF-603 should be close to the current 602's so they will go head to head with the V5's
I'm not sure about the Pixel Bishop but I would guess they are in another price rang more in line with the Phottix Strato. They should be out in a few days.
For most users I think the range is more than enough with any of them now. Other features such as the high trigger voltage of the V5 may be the deciding factor.
Posted 30 months ago.
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@ Eric and @Brian
Doh, missed that line in the review.
I spent a long time doing FCC testing for a contract design house, and a few more years working on accessories for 2 way radios, some which covered DC to daylight at over 20W ERP. The effect that one transmitter can have on another seems a lot like voodoo until you delve extremely deeply into radio theory and interaction.
I'd maintain that the spectrum difference (2.4/433) can still cause all kinds of wierdness. If the units were built to some insane Mil-Spec output tightness standard without any sidebands at all, had billet metal enclosures, and crazy filtering both ways on both ends, I'd expect them to both work together happily if and only if the antennas were also insanely directional and properly located to minimize phase interaction.
If the receivers, one or both, have less than optimal rejection filters on the input, it's very possible to see extremely odd results when doing range testing in a real-world environment. I know how a lot of companies get the range numbers, and sometimes they're not exactly what I'd call honest. Measure the power output of the transmitter, measure the receive sensitivity of the receiver, and back-calculate the distance using the inverse square law (it works for RF and sound too).
The cold is the final thing I'd suspect a lot. As batteries get cold, their performance decreases, including a point where they start to suck exponentially more with each passing degree. Once they cold soak, their operating voltage and ability to source current start to become very questionable. Alkalines are happiest around 100F. I'm not sure about NiMH or LiPO, but I'd imagine they're similar.
Posted 30 months ago.
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@mausball:
Very informative. Thanks!
Posted 30 months ago.
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I've released a video review now.
Posted 30 months ago.
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According to Gadget Infinity's website, the V5 will be released in January 2011.
Posted 30 months ago.
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The beauty of this is the V5s would also be compatible with ANY wireless trigger set one currently has.
I have the CTR-301P and believe I could pop the 301P transmitter into the hot shoe of the V5 and that would fire my 301Ps as well as the V5 in receiver mode.
Nice job!
Posted 30 months ago.
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Good review!
Posted 30 months ago.
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GNapp Studios :
True.
I'm not sure I'd call this feature "compatibility", but the fact that you can use both systems in parallel and without the need of a PC cable sure is an advantage. I suppose the combination would be as good as the "weakest link".
This feature has been added in the Pros.
mrksaari Thanks!
Posted 30 months ago.
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"The beauty of this is the V5s would also be compatible with ANY wireless trigger set one currently has."
This is a good way to transition to the V5 if you use a number of triggers/lights. Buy one set and see how you like them and then add as you can and displace any older less reliable triggers you have.
Posted 30 months ago.
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The small fact they are 1/8" (3.5mm) rather than 1/32" (2.5mm) as the 603 reportedly use, is a huge selling point for my needs.
Posted 30 months ago.
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There were questions in regards to the strength of the mount and the stability. I decided to test with my 580EXII on an umbrella stand I swung my flash with batteries in it around to prove it wont break.. or come loose.... Here is a quick video and demo on how to mount it to an umbrella bracket and I showed how stable it is. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeLqdUPHe-U
Posted 30 months ago.
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The beauty of this is the V5s would also be compatible with ANY wireless trigger set one currently has.
Nice. I hope future generations of these have the same pass through option. By the time V10's come out, the stack of transmitters on your camera will be well above your head.
Thanks for the review OP. By the way, the rf602's will do strobo mode if I half press the transmitter before and during the exposure (using a k100d and SB-26/28).
Posted 30 months ago.
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Thanks god these work nothing like V2s!
Posted 30 months ago.
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ANY wireless? What about the TTL quenched RP JrX Studio or PW with Pre-flash info pulses? If I daisy chain RPs JrX flashes fire twice!
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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petepixxx edited this topic 30 months ago.
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@petepixxx That would be nice..
Posted 30 months ago.
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Stupid question, but was is relay mode?
Is it where you have a transmitter in your hand and it activates the receiver on the camera which activates the shutter, and at the same time another transmitter on the camera's hotshoe activates a receiver on an external flash?
Posted 30 months ago.
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@fuzzybabybunny:
Yes, kind of, and no, it wasn't a stupid question.
see strobist.blogspot.com/2007/06/pocket-wizard-tutorial-vide...
With the relay mode from Pocketwizards, you only need 3 transceivers. The transceiver on the camera first works as a receiver, fires the camera, waits for the camera to be ready to shoot, switches to transmitter mode on a higher channel, and triggers the flash when the camera shoots.
Without the relay mode, you need 4 transceivers : One transmitter in your hand, one receiver with shutter cable on the camera, another transmitter on the camera, and one receiver on the flash.
The good news is that 4 V5's probably cost less than 1 PW :D
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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eric.duminil edited this topic 30 months ago.
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petepixxx Sorry, what?
Posted 30 months ago.
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@Eric, not to speak for pete, but I think he was talking about the TTL pins not being passed through on the V5. thats how I read it.
Posted 30 months ago.
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@eric.duminil
Thanks! So basically it IS possible to imitate relay mode - you just need 4 V5s. Hopefully the V5s will be released at the end of the month since I *really* need them any my YN-602s are so near death it's ridiculous. How much do you think it will cost for each transceiver? I'd probably need 5.
Posted 30 months ago.
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Clarity? You want clarity? That's a lot of work! But...
Basically will a SB800 PC sync output, during a TTL flash output, pass thru a V5 and allow a RP JrX Studio remote power to work OK as a remote flash power control?
The two flash-on-a-bracket Run-n-Gun setup I now use is this:
SB800 TTL for fill (corded) -- two sync outputs -->
1) PC output sync linked to a Radio Slave IV
2) three pin output to SB600 (bounce)
from the RS-IV --> the *local* channel triggers an RP JrX for remote power control. The RS-IV gives local/remote channel on/off control switches.
This works fine.
But... I prefer smaller triggers / receivers. I'd like to also have a CyberSync (or V5 passthru) Y'ed on that local channel. Are you getting this mess?? But a CyberSync Y'ed on that channel will interfer with the RP signal and and make it flash twice for each trigger impulse. A V5 pass thru may work OK.
I'm stuck right now needing to piggyback the three controls till I can find, and afford the transition costs, to one brand reliable solution. PW seems to be heading in that direction, finally, with the release of the Nikon grouper control recently. For now I'm letting the early adopters do the user version of bug testing.
So... what is a possible upgrade path that has remote power control of both flashes & monolights?? I don't see an easy way YET. I was hoping to use RP JrXs on PCBs, but No-o-o they don't work on Einsteins (which I would prefer). The CyberCommander doesn't have knobs, which I love.
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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petepixxx edited this topic 30 months ago.
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fuzzybabybunny:) No info on the price yet.
I dare say they won't cost much more than the V4's, but I could be wrong. They should be available at the end of January.
petepixxx
I can only tell you that the V5 doesn't have any TTL pass-through (either with the hotshoes or with the PC sync cable).
I could only test a PW Plus II or a Cactus V4 on top of the Cactus V5, and they worked fine because they are "dumb" triggers.
Gadget Infinity probably will release develop another trigger with more features (remote power control? TTL? passthrough?) but it might take a long time before we know more about it.
I'd also love a one-brand solution with the flexibility of Nikon iTTL and the reliability of PocketWizard, but without the PW price tag and early bugs.
You could buy *a lot* of gear for the price of a TT1/TT5/AC3/SB700/SB900 system.
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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eric.duminil edited this topic 30 months ago.
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"Gadget Infinity probably will release another trigger with more features (remote power control? TTL? passthrough?) but I have no information about availability/price."
Maybe release is not a good term to use. While they may consider these features in the future it would take some time to develop.
Posted 30 months ago.
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rudy__ Thanks. I corrected the corresponding part.
Can I please link to your review and mention your results? (delay & fps)
Posted 30 months ago.
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Sure.
rudys-rants.blogspot.com/2011/01/cactus-v5-radio-flash-tr...
Posted 30 months ago.
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As another *clarity* point:
I don't want or need TTL pass-thru, just dumb trigger pass-thru that doesn't get *tweaked* by a TTL signal. Something like a digital optical trigger ignors the TTL info.
edit: One the other hand, a TTL pass-thru trigger between camera & SB800 should work also. Thanks for the idea. :)
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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petepixxx edited this topic 30 months ago.
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Cactus Wireless Flash Transceiver V5 Duo
Retail price: USD 59.95
Cactus Wireless Flash Transceiver V5 Single
Retail price: USD 34.95
Source: www.gadgetinfinity.com/
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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bik0z edited this topic 30 months ago.
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Okay, that's a nice price!
Posted 30 months ago.
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Update
* The triggers are available. The first shipment will go out on the 26th.
Posted 29 months ago.
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Hi Eric,
Thanks for the great review. One thing is not clear. I own a D80, that support Auto FP. When using my SB-800 flash I frequently use Auto FP to sync at for instance 1/400s (for instance to kill the ambient light).
My question: will the Cactus V5 support this Auto FP / High speed sync scenario?
Posted 29 months ago.
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The V5 does not support FP.
Posted 29 months ago.
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What would be nice is if you could stick an ST-E2 on top of the transceiver in order to use the ST-E2 AF assist beam. Is that possible?
Posted 29 months ago.
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No, the hotshoe only has the Fire pin brought to the top.
Posted 29 months ago.
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All right thanks for the info Rudy.
Foiled again. :(
Posted 29 months ago.
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calebpg: you can do that with a phottix strato!
Posted 29 months ago.
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Sweet, thank you. I did a search and found Todd's review of the strato, sounds good. Having the model hold up a cell phone to focus on gets real old real fast.
Posted 29 months ago.
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Is the flash wake up feature included on this model?
Posted 28 months ago.
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@PhotoSeenThesis:
No,at least not with recent TTL models.
Posted 28 months ago.
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Very good and complete review. Thanks for passing this information to us. After my last photoshoot I'm in no doubt anymore. I will order the V5 now! :-)
Posted 28 months ago.
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Michael Brink [deleted] says:
Thanks for the review.
Posted 27 months ago.
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colorcrazyface [deleted] says:
The V5 has no hole for nikon locking pins, so there's no way to completely secure a V5 system right?
That makes it the same as the RF603.
One falls off with trigger, one falls off without trigger...?
Posted 27 months ago.
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Where is this Gadget infinity located?
Does they add shipping charges, if these are bought from U.S.
And How to get these in India.
Thanks.
Vimal
Posted 27 months ago.
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@iliodos... Even if it does not have a locking pin. Locking the flash still tigtens it down. If you really want a locking pin drill a small hole.. Remeber this was designed to be used on as many flashes and cameras as posible..
Posted 27 months ago.
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colorcrazyface [deleted] says:
@Brian
I think if I tried to drill a hole it'd end up in the wrong place and I'd scratch the whole top up! I guess this still looks like the best bet for me. Hope they decide to drill a hole one day.
Posted 27 months ago.
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What do you mean by "you will need 4 recievers and one shutter release cable to fire one remote...." for some reason my mind can't grasp that....
Posted 27 months ago.
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colorcrazyface [deleted] says:
Anyone know if one can get the shutter release cables from elsewhere? The ones they have are VERY long, I mean, it's hanging off the camera I don't want it more than 10cm or so.
Pixel have similar looking ones, that are also long.
Posted 27 months ago.
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For one flash ? So if i have a 4 flash set up ? My brain must not be working right this week. I'll try and draw myself a diagram,,,,,(grumbling )
Posted 27 months ago.
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colorcrazyface [deleted] says:
@Wally : for camera triggering just buy a camera trigger for $20 instead of a set of V5s...
Posted 27 months ago.
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For the people who are interested in the V5 & D7000 combination: it will almost fully sync at 1/320s. On the D7000, at 1/320s shutter speed a flash fired using a V5 has just a bit more dark (darker, but not black) band at the bottom of the frame than an on camera flash at 1/400s.
Posted 27 months ago.
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I bought the v5's and a canon shutter sync (for Canon 7D) about a week ago, paying extra to have them for a vacation. Triggering my Vivitar 283 works great, however...
The shutter release on the other hand does not work. All that happens is the auto focus kicks in. Shutter will not release. I went to Calumet this morning and tried a Canon RS-80N3 shutter release and it worked great, so it is not my camera.
The last response from GadgetInfinity was to send the cable back. Not worth the cost and time.
Their quality control is obviously lacking and with all the testing I did, I would have expected them to ship replacements (tested on a 7D), and I would have happily return the units I have.
I will use the 10sec timer on my vacation, and will buy locally in the future..
Be advised.
Posted 27 months ago.
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In all your testing did you try shorting the tip to the sleeve? (not using the V5 but instead just testing the cable) Or the ring to the sleeve?
Posted 27 months ago.
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i received the cactus V5 one week ago. They are really fine, or not :). why?
Like in the picture from "rudy_", mine cactus (4 of them) has the trigger signal linked to the RING pin instead of the TIP pin (like V4). On the other side they shipped to me the cable jack-to-pcsync that is a mono jack cable, and in that case the triggering signal is groing to the Sleeve pin (ground) , why? because is a mono jack. Theyr response was, " we know about his we will try to solve it"...BUT, the big issue is that the central pin of the hot-shoe, is linked to the same signal like TIP pin, and based on this none of my flashes are able to fire mounted on that hot shoe !!! None !. Even their testet 580EX II's. My 580 is fire linked by a custom made jack cable (stereo) and trigger signal to the RING pin, and is working even the 'not supported' SB-28...but only by MY cable, not their cheap one. SO, tomorrow i am FORCED to open all my 4 V5's and made all minimal modifications inside them, i mean changing triggering signal to the hot shoe (the same signal from the RING jack part). For ME is not a big issue because i am an electronics engineer, but for other who doesn't have an oscilloscope or a measurement device will be a pain. The cactus V5 is good but in my case somebody was confused and soldered badly all the wires inside.
Posted 25 months ago.
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So I test mounted my hulking sb900 on the transmitter mounted on my camera's hot shoe. I moved it around like I would shooting a gig, and I'm not feeling too confident that my flash will be safe from falling off. In fact, one of the triggers had it's top with the female shoe loosened by me shifting around the camera with the flash attached. Perhaps I'd need to reinforce the top covers with epoxy or something. I shift the flash head around heavily during wedding receptions so I can just imagine how much wiggling and loosening it will do throughout the night.
Please don't laugh for me asking this if it's a silly question. Is it possible to connect a cable somehow from my camera to the Tx trigger so it will still trigger my other receivers instead of having to use my camera's hotshoe to do so? At least this way, I can mount my flash to the camera's hotshoe confidently.
Posted 24 months ago.
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If your camera has a PC connector then you can trigger the V5 with the supplied cable.
Posted 24 months ago.
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Great review. For comparison, I just did a review of the Yongnuo RF-603s:
makingitasapro.blogspot.com/2011/06/yongnuo-rf-603c-radio...
Paul
Posted 24 months ago.
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Hope somebody is still watching this link. Could I use my Phottix Mega Cleon wireless/wired remote on my Nikon D300 for the shutter and use the Cactus for the SB-800 flashes?
Originally posted 23 months ago.
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Sportymonk edited this topic 23 months ago.
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Sportymonk Yes, you basically can use any camera trigger while using the V5's as flash triggers. They are two separate systems.
Note that this also is the case for V4, Pocketwizards....
Posted 23 months ago.
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Awesome review and discussion. Because of them, I've purchased some of the v5's to expand my range as I learn. Had them for a month or so, no problems yet. Thanks all.
Posted 23 months ago.
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Btw, it doesn't seem to be mentioned, but if you have a SB900, the flash will not lock on the Cactus V5 triggers. I had my sb900 fall off when transporting it all hooked up on a lightstand to another location. So buyer beware.
Posted 21 months ago.
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Sounds like user error. (If you don't provide details then what do you expect)
Posted 21 months ago.
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Rudy...what more details do you want?
I mentioned..."flash will not lock on the cactus v5 triggers". I also mentioned that my sb900 fell when moving it around hooked on a lightstand to another location.
Before commenting about user error and blaming me...why don't you read what I said????
What you do you want??? The time of day and temprature and my exact location details?? Jeez
Posted 21 months ago.
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Posted 21 months ago.
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Is the problem with the V5 or with the flash? There was a modification to the V5 but I don't know the details. But there also have been problems reported with the SB900. Were you expecting the lock lever on the SB900 to clamp to the V5?
From Just killed an SB900 www.theprofessionalphotographyforum.com/forum/viewtopic.p...
Comparing the Nikon flash mounting system to the Canon, the Canon is clearly superior. On the Canon, the mounting lever not only extends a pin that locks the flash to the hotshoe, it also tightens the flash to the shoe, reducing the possibility of movement.
On the Nikon, the lever only extends a pin, and there is a fair amount of slop -- the flash can be moved around -- on one of my D700s -- enough to cause the control pins to lose connection and a malfunction to occur.
The annoying thing is that apparently this has been a problem with Nikons for a while, and the SB900's thicker shoe base was supposed to make it fit tighter to reduce the problem. Doesn't seem to work -- my second D700 and SB900 are also sloppy -- although not enough (yet) to allow the flash pins to break contact with the camera.
Originally posted 21 months ago.
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rudy__ edited this topic 21 months ago.
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The problem is clearly with the Cactus...since that came later then the SB900. Cactus should have tested it and seen that the flash doesn't lock at all. Yes I was expecting the locking to work...too high of an expectation??? Why not design it better to accommodate Nikon SB900 flash???
And also because of that, the connection is rather weak and can have misfires too.
But more important is that the V5s are not really suitable for SB900s. I haven't tried SB800 or SB600 yet.
Posted 21 months ago.
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See now we understand what your problem was. Just by adding a few details.
Your right. They should have designed for Nikon's crappy design.
Originally posted 21 months ago.
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rudy__ edited this topic 21 months ago.
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Wish I had read this earlier. I have just purchased the Combi TF (hahnel) and have used it only once. It is extremly cheap around $80 Au and worked very well. I only have one but used that one to trigger the slave flash. I had no probs but would be interesting to see how it compares with the Cactus? It did get a very good review in a photography mag.
Posted 21 months ago.
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I am saddened to find out that the V5 doesn't have a full hotshoe pass thru. I have been looking for a trigger that can sit between my canon and my 580EX II while retaining full functionality (ETTL, etc.) of the 580.
It sounds like I could just take the PC link from my 580 (my camera model does not have any sync outside of the hotshoe) and pipe it into the V5 to get the result I'm looking for; is this correct?
I am surprised that my desire to have remote flash rigs set up in addition to an always present camera mounted flash is apparently is an edge case. Am I truly that alone in these desires?
Posted 21 months ago.
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"It sounds like I could just take the PC link from my 580 (my camera model does not have any sync outside of the hotshoe) and pipe it into the V5 to get the result I'm looking for; is this correct?"
No. The PC connection on the 580EX is an input only and is not connected to the hotshoe contact.
Posted 21 months ago.
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T_bias -
Have a look at the Phottix Strato II for a nice trigger with full ETTL pass thru hotshoe. It takes a well made trigger to withstand the stresses of on camera flash usage. -
www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157626841710926/
Posted 21 months ago.
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This may not be as practical but you can also set up your Cactus V5 for ETTL pass through by spending less than $5.00 by buying a bracket like this www.ebay.com.au/itm/FLASHGUN-Flash-Hot-Shoe-Digital-DC-Ca....
See the set up here
www.flickr.com/photos/adamboltphotography/6222231557/in/p... and the result here www.flickr.com/photos/adamboltphotography/6222231383/in/p...
Cheers Adam
Originally posted 21 months ago.
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Adam Bolt Photography edited this topic 21 months ago.
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Seems getting them from the website individually is a better deal than in pairs since you get a set of cables in each individ packaging and only one set in the dual too.
Posted 20 months ago.
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Can you trigger the Cactus from a lightmeter for testing exposure?
(my old Minolta Auto-Meter IVF has a pc connector)
Posted 20 months ago.
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(1 to 100 of 122 replies in Cactus V5 full review - comparison with V4 & PocketWizard Plus II)
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