Hong Kong-based flash and flash trigger manufacturer Cactus has upgraded its V6 wireless transceiver system to allow flash sync speeds of up to 1/8000sec. The company says that the V6 ll will be compatible with units from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax. Cactus also plans to bring high speed flash to Fujifilm X cameras even though Fuji doesn’t support the feature with its own flash units. Cactus has, at the same time, announced a V6 lls for Sony users with the same capabilities, but offers a Sony-compatible hotshoe foot.
The Cactus V6 ll offers an LED AF-assist light and remote control of the flash’s power output and zoom head position, as well as the features of the previous version. Also new is the ability to detect the on-camera flash in the network and to assign an automatic profile to that flash on start-up. This should make the system easier to work with.
The Cactus V6 ll will be available from July priced at $95. The Sony version is scheduled for an August release. For more information and a list of pre-installed flash profiles visit the Cactus website.
Press release:
Go high-speed sync! Cactus launches the V6 II, a newest version of its popular Wireless Flash Transceiver to add cross-brand HSS and the V6 IIs, a dedicated Sony version.
After two years in the making, Cactus V6 II & IIs – the second generation of the World’s First cross-brand wireless flash transceiver, NOW supports high-speed synchronisation (HSS)!
Besides the revolutionary remote power control of Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax flashes all at the same time, the new models now support HSS / FP mode in the same cross-brand environment.1 This unique function gives photographers flexibility undreamed of. Matching flashes with same camera system for off-camera flash photography is over.
Two High-Speed Sync Modes
1. Normal HSS: Supports shutter speed up to 1/8000s.
2. Power Sync: Boosts flash contribution above camera’s x-sync speed, perfect for extreme conditions where Normal HSS is not powerful enough. 2
Cactus also extends HSS capabilities to Fujifilm cameras despite them not yet
supporting high-speed sync at the time of writing.
AF-assist
Both the V6 II and IIs now has an automatic LED AF-assist light that makes autofocusing in dark environments possible – even in pitched-black!3 Besides the camera-mounted V6 II/IIs, off-camera units will also activate the AF-assist light, which helps focusing even when camera is far from the subject.
V6 IIs for Sony
The dedicated Sony version – V6 IIs, embodies all the desirable functions of its sibling V6 II but with a Sony compatible hot shoe on the transceiver body, ensuring a seamless and secured connection with Sony cameras and flashes. Mounting the V6 IIs on a Sony Alpha camera allows the photographer to shoot above camera’s maximum x-sync speed and control power and zoom of Sony, including those with a Minolta/Sony hot shoe via an adapter, and other V6 II compatible flashes. 4 It is the perfect wireless flash trigger for existing and new users of Sony Alpha cameras, especially those who may still have non-Sony system flashes in their camera bags.
Highly Intelligent
V6 II and IIs can now auto-detect the on-camera portable flashes at device start-up by selecting the system the flash belongs to and assigning an Auto flash profile. Similarly, the V6 II will auto-detect the camera and selects the system accordingly. 5 This simple plug-and-play makes the setting up extremely quick and easy that both amateurs and professionals appreciate.
Expands Flash Compatibility
Remote zoom control now applies to all compatible TTL flashes, gives the photographer much quicker controls. Better still, previously unsupported digital TTL flash models on the V6 are now being supported.
Features at a Glance
1. Cross-brand wireless manual power and zoom control with HSS support of Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony flashes;
2. Two cross-brand high-speed sync modes:
•?Normal HSS supports shutter speeds up to 1/8000s;
•?Power Sync boosts flash contribution above camera’s x-sync speed;
3. Multi-master supports up to 20 photographers firing the same set of flashes at their own power settings;
4. AF-assist light assists focusing in low light environment;
5. Flash profile customization ensures accurate power output;
6. Work seamlessly with the RF60 series to support HSS and Power Sync;
7. Other useful features inherited from the V6 including:
Lo Power
Absolute Power
TTL Pass-through
Group Sequence
Sport Shutter
Remote Shutter
Relay Mode
Delay Mode
Firmware Update support
Price and Availability
Cactus V6 II and IIs are currently scheduled to be available in 2016 July and August respectively and both are priced at US$95.00 (ex VAT).