HSS mode
First of all, let me say that I'm thoroughly enjoying my Cactus RF60 flash and V6 Trigger. I'm a Nikon user and I also own the SB-700 flash which has TTL HSS built in. The documentation doesn't really explain how to use the HSS Sympathy mode on the RF60 flash. Can someone explain in detail or step by step how to setup and use them in this manner? I have some photo ideas that may need me to use this feature but I'm at a real loss at this moment.
Comments
1. Mount the TTL flash on the camera's hot shoe
2. Switch the RF60 Master to HSS sympathey mode by presing the "HSS" button twice. The center row of the LCD display will show HSS. This will automatically turn on the optical slave trigger in S1, which the flash is triggered by first pre-flash).
3. Position the RF60 Master with its optical sensor facing the TTL flash head.
4. Take a test shot by pressing the camera's shutter release button.
Note that if you use the optical triggering method described by admin, you'll have to set a delay value in order to make the RF60's flash appear at the time of exposure (and not too early). You'll have to experiment a bit, but the manual gives some useful starting points.
Again, unless you go too high with the shutter speeds, you won't need a pre-sync signal and should be able to simply use the "S2" triggering mode without any delay value.
I tried to figure this mode out for my Pentax - but I failed.
Once ore twice i had a lightning effect by the RF60 on pictures - but were never able to reproduce it.
Klaus
www.Klaus-macht-Bilder.de
Note that you should be able to use "S2 MAIN FLASH" as the optical triggering method with DELAY set to "OFF" up to a shutter speed of about 1/2000s. At least that works for me with a K100D.
If you want to use higher shutter speeds, you need to switch to "S1 FIRST FLASH" and then you need an appropriate delay value. The manual gives a range of values you should try. It takes a bit of experimenting to find the correct delay value for your camera and settings. I recommend setting the camera to manual mode and not change any of the settings (f-stop, shutter speed) while you are trying to find the right delay value on the V6. You should find the right ballpark using increments of 3ms (or so) and then can fine tune some more. If you use too large a step between candidate delay values, chances are you'll jump over the useful range and never see it work.
If you do the latter, make sure to disable the optical triggering for the RF60. If you switch an RF60 to HSS mode, it automatically turns on optical triggering. You will want to disable this optical triggering if you intend to fire the RF60(s) with a V6 (that itself gets optically triggered by the HSS flash).
I got single results that had been ok - but I was never able to reproduce it.
I thing I stap at this point because HSS with radio trigger is least important to me.
Usually I use the Sigma EM140DG on the camera and trigger Pentax 360&540 by Pentax wireless mode.
Klaus
www.Klaus-macht-Bilder.de
Senior Product Specialist
Cactus®
Harvest One Limited
Senior Product Specialist
Cactus®
Harvest One Limited
I'm not a Sony user but I'm guessing that the Sony flash must not be in wireless mode since it won't fire at all in this mode (unless you are using a second Sony flash on-camera).
Try to find out whether your Sony flash/camera has a controller mode in which it will issue a pre-flash but only minimally contribute to the main exposure (if at all).
Note also that the RF60 can trigger on the pre-flash (in which case you need to set a delay value) or on the main flash. Make sure you have the right option selected depending on what your Sony flash is delivering. Main flash triggering will only work up to a certain shutter speed, though.
Also, you should be able to do progress in jumps of 3ms, you should still catch the flash when you are in the right ballpark.
You should share this with your fellow Sony and A6000 friends
Thanks for sharing with us!
Brand Manager
I have read Brian's blog and I wonder if this will work with my D610... And RF60... I know that I won't have TTL but would like to use manual and HSS for outdoor portraits. Also I know that HSS uses more power does the RF60 have a heat safety cut out?
I look forward to the response.
Cheers...
David
Something needs to tell the D610 that it should use HSS (pre-sync) timing for the flash trigger signal. The V6 cannot do it on its own, but if you combine it with a Nikon dedicated trigger that supports HSS then you can use any number of RF60 as HSS flashes.
The RF60 has overheating protection. There are several stages from just increasing recycling times (to provide cooling down periods) to completely shutting off. A thermometer icon will show on the display accordingly (as described in the manual).
Have a look at the respective section in my V6 review at pentaxforums regarding the need to use an HSS-capable flash in order to make the camera use higher shutter speeds and still provide a trigger signal.
The only alternative to the method described there, if you want to use HSS, is to remote trigger both RF60 and the camera via V6s, and using a delay value for the flashes to compensate for the camera lag. You'd need a shutter release cable from the V6 to the K-5 in this case.
Note that this will still not enable hot-shoe triggering for the V6. You will have to trigger the V6 optically from the on-camera flash. This is possible by holding the V6 close to the flash head or by using a piece of paper or similar to guide the light into the V6's sensor.
So, a V6 set to TX on-camera with lets say a Sigma EF-610 DG Super set as MASTER, a V6 set as RX on each remote RF60's set to SLAVE, and a cable release/timer from the K5 to the on-camera V6 to trigger? (Seems like an lot of equipment) Is there any remote substitute for the cable release, although my Pentax timer should suffice?
Cactus should make a diagram of suggested Pentax setups for the user. There are a lot of Pentax users out there and it seems most have struggled through forums and researched this to death! You guys seem to have the solution... but I reserve judgment until mine finally works (LOL)! Thank you in advance for all the help and response.
You don't need a cable release either. The K-5 does not generate a sync-signal anywhere. Optical triggering (of a V6 or the RF60 directly) is your only choice, unless you use a completely different approach.
Using the manuals and perhaps my reviews, you should be able to get this working.
Note that all units involved (including) RF60 must be on the same channel and the groups the RF60 and the V6 connected to the camera are assigned to must be active on the V6 in your hand.
Just for troubleshooting purposes I would remove the V6 triggering the camera from the hot-shoe. IIRC, it can sit on the hot-shoe with no ill-effect, but for troubleshooting I'd remove it.
Also make sure there is no other flash firing. When in HSS mode the RF60 automatically activates optical triggering so can be triggered by other flashes unless you manually deactivate optical triggering in the menu.
If none of the above make a difference, try different delay values, jumping in 2ms steps.