430ex + cactus = problems?

hey guys

it seems like the 430ex when used in conjunction with the cactus v2s recievers seems to cause some problems, ie random misfires etc.

its really odd because if i use my 580 in conjunction with the 3 sb28's i have, they work flawlessly.

however, once i plop in the 430ex. everything goes downhill.

is anybody else experiencing problems like this? again, all the other flashes i have used with the cactus system has been 100% reliable for me.

thanks

e r y k wrote in post #4961686
hey guys

it seems like the 430ex when used in conjunction with the cactus v2s recievers seems to cause some problems, ie random misfires etc.

its really odd because if i use my 580 in conjunction with the 3 sb28's i have, they work flawlessly.

however, once i plop in the 430ex. everything goes downhill.

is anybody else experiencing problems like this? again, all the other flashes i have used with the cactus system has been 100% reliable for me.

thanks

I have same problem with my 430

at least im not the only one

it looks like im gonna retire the 430ex to use as solely an ettl / on camera flash.

or until i can afford some PW's, which will be never

Mine act weird all the time... If I'm just shooting with one remote all goes smooth but once I turn on the other things start going wrong. It must have something to do with them creating some kind of interference that messes them up so I get a lot of misfires.

Some things that helped were 1) Keep batteries charged up. I got a ton of self-fires and misfires until I did this. 2) Keep the battery door off - this increased range and lowered misfires. 3) Add the antenna mod - this was a pain to do (I'm not a DIY guy) but really helped. I added a 3/in whip antenna. 4) Keep remotes as far apart as possible.

Yep the cactus triggers HATE 430's, it is why i dropped a months rent on 4 pocket wizrds, and DAMN am i glad, those things are FLAWLESS!

I've had this same problem with my two Sigma 500 DG Supers. With just one Sigma on a receiver it works great. Once I add more receivers into the mix, things go bad. I get a lot of misfires. I also have a couple of cheap sunpak 433AFs and 433Ds and they don't have this problem. I can use both the sunpaks at once on V2s receivers without any misfires. Because of this quark I have demoted the sigma 500DG supers to optical slaves without the V2s receivers. This is fine for my home studio but wouldn't work in the real world because they would fire off of anyone's flash.

keener wrote in post #4962057
I've had this same problem with my two Sigma 500 DG Supers. With just one Sigma on a receiver it works great. Once I add more receivers into the mix, things go bad. I get a lot of misfires. .....

Yeah, I have two 500 DG Supers as well, and my Cactus triggers behave the same way. Guess I'm sorta glad to hear this isn't just my problem. This just keeps nudging me to get those Skyports...

I have the second version of cactus, and I have problems with 430ex very-very seldomly, almost never! I use them throu the cord, thou, not with the hot shoe!

how do you shoot the 430 via cord? theres no PC sync?

I have the Cactus V2's with a 430 EX. I find it only fires about 80% of the time when I trigger from my camera. I have the 4 channel version and on one setting it would fire frequently without being triggered!! Quite startling!
Not as reliable as I hoped.
Mike

e r y k wrote in post #4963420
how do you shoot the 430 via cord? theres no PC sync?

I think he means using a hot shoe adapter with a PC sync cord to the remote... that's the way I have mine. It keeps the flashes low and eliminates the possibility of the flash falling.

MaxxuM wrote in post #4968622
I think he means using a hot shoe adapter with a PC sync cord to the remote... that's the way I have mine. It keeps the flashes low and eliminates the possibility of the flash falling.

ah gotcha, i just ended up shimming the space between the bracket and the reciever with some pennies

Yeah mine does that too when the batteries aren't dead.

It can actually be pretty hilarious .

e r y k wrote in post #4963420
how do you shoot the 430 via cord? theres no PC sync?

Maxxum got it right I use this thingy - http://www.poiskfoto.r​u/RUSSIAN/1152.jpg