Experience with 540EZ & Cactus V2?

250Gimp · Feb 5, 2009

I just got a Canon 540EZ off flea-bay and I want to use it with my Cactus V2 receiver. Does anyone have experience with this particular combo?

I seem to get about 75% of the flash going off when called for.
The light blinks on the receiver when triggering it, but no flash.

Figured I would ask before ordering up a V2s

Thanks

Oh, and no Gerry, I have not modded the transmitter yet

JerryPH · Feb 6, 2009

lmao... I can take a hint.

Did you make sure to take the flash out of stand-by mode? I am not a Canon person, but would assume that they have one as well like the Nikon units.

BTW, if and when you mod your cactus transmitter, make absolutely sure that you use the right length of cat5 single strand copper wire from a piece of networking cable. To get the external cases, like I have with my receivers, on your next trip downtown, go to Addisson in Montreal and get them for well under a dollar a piece.

250Gimp · Feb 7, 2009

Hey Jerry

Thanks for the reply.

The flash is not in stand by mode. It just seems almost like I am trying to fire it too quickly. If I leave it for 10 seconds between flashes it is more consistent.

Anyway, I will keep trying and see how it works out.

It is going to be a bugger to measure the wire to exactly 12-25/64" to cut it to length!! I am assuming being off by a 64th or so won't be too big of a deal?

Cheers

JerryPH · Feb 7, 2009

At low power settings (like 1/4 power) and with fresh batteries in the flash, are you able to pop off 3-4 flashes at about 1 second apart? (that means counting off mentally... POP!...one-thousand-one... POP!...one-thousand-two, and os on). Sometimes flashes are not meant to do 5 FPS, or even 2FPS at times!

Being off a small amount won't set your transmitter on fire, no... lol

RyanLilly · Feb 7, 2009

Make sure that the flash has fully recycled by watching the indicator light. If its the same as a 430ez, greens means its still charging, and red means its ready, yes I know, that is stupid and completely counter intuitive. If your batteries are low in the trigger set it can cause these symptoms too.

250Gimp · Feb 7, 2009

The flash fires most of the time, just not 100%

I tried a new battery in the receiver and still got the same results.

I did wait for the red light.

With the 540EZ the green light means you can still trigger the flash, but not at full power. Canon has a term for it, but I can't remember it iff the top of my head.

I guess my main concern is consistancy.

I will have to pick up a new battery for the sending unit just to be sure.

Cheers

RyanLilly · Feb 7, 2009

Your right, I think green means ~80% charge or something like that.

When I got my Trigger set the consistency was very crappy, I figured it was due to the original batteries, so I went ahead and did the antenna mod, and right away, even with the old batteries I had perfect consistency and was firing my flashes from about 150' I only stopped there because I ran into a wall. I think that most misfires and inconsistency that people run into is resolved by adding the antenna.

250Gimp · Feb 7, 2009

Thanks Ryan!

I'll be doing the "Jerry Special" mod as soon as I can borrow a soldering iron. I already have the wire.

I did some messing around with portaits today and they the triggers workied pretty well, probably 90%.

CHeers

Cheers

ndredsox · Feb 7, 2009

Check out the Skyports. Just got mine today and love them! Get the universal ones as they will work with hot shoe flashes. Paid waaay under PW's, but have the same reliability.