X-TTL Update
I have three Cactus V6 IIs and a couple of Olympus FL-600Rs. There has been no word for a number of months as to when microcode to support X-TTL for Olympus, Canon and Nikon will be available. It would be great if some update could be provided. The lack of information makes one wonder whether Cactus has run into problems and will not be able to deliver the new functionality.
Thanks!
Michael
PS: great products! I really enjoy the flexibility of the V6 II transceiver.
Comments
Brand Manager
Brand Manager
Brand Manager
Brand Manager
If that is right, where is the sense in having X-TTL for me as a pentax user?
wouldnt I be off much better buying an "Acon R930"??
At least this device lets me use Nikon flashes... as far as i get it, it can act as a P->i-TTL translator and as wireless P-TTL transmitter...
Did i get something wrong here ... ? Is it actually possible to use the Cactus V6II as a real X-TTL transceiver and have TTL functionality when i pop a Nikon flash on a "Cactus V6II" set to RX mode and release it (f.i.) with a "Cactus V6II" set to TX, which itself is mounted on my PENTAX DSLR??
Either i misunderstood something, or i have to feel like I "have been taken for a ride"...?
I hereby ask for clarification.
Thank you in advance!
And if its real and X-TTL is not possible at the moment i intensely hope, that you will hand out REAL X-TTL functionality to PENTAX users with a future firmware update.
Thank you!
So pls answer me that question if you can not or dont want to answer the latter...:
If..
I have one Cactus V6II transceiver that is updated to:
PEN.A.001 FW
installed and i want to trigger a Sony flash with TTL functionality, i will have to wait for the FW:
SON.A.001
??
and later on if i want to trigger a Nikon flash with TTL functionality, by triggering it with my
"Cactus V6II"@PEN.A.001 FW
i will have to wait for a FW, that kinda says:
NIK.A.001
??
Is that somehow right?
this would also translate to that:
is that correct PLS?
With a V6II transmitter running PEN.A.001, TTL is only supported for Pentax-dedicated flashes (including models from Metz, etc.) or the RF60(x).
All V6II units running any X-TTL firmware in receiver mode support all sorts of flashes from all sorts of systems. Nobody needs to wait for a future X-TTL variant to be published to have their flash system supported (when using one of the already supported cameras).
There is just this limitation that PEN.A.001 will only support TTL with Pentax-dedicated flashes or RF60(x) flashes.
Brand Manager
Brand Manager
So in clear words:
You want to tell me, that all the
others systems will get cross-brand TTL, but due to some mysterious
reason... PENTAX users will not be able to use cross-brand TTL?
I
mean, i dont see the problem while I am certain that at no point in
time all camera makers(except PENTAX) sat together on a real huuuge
table and the following happened:
they looked into that crystal ball and said,
"Oh.. How about... one day, we will let Cactus-Image make this cross-brand solution ..."
another one said,
"wow good idea, lets plant support for it INTO our upcoming digital TTL protocols...now! before even the idea for those protocol themselves exist. "
fuji rep on the other side of the table:
"thank
god, Pentax isnt here, so they cant implement those mysterious
conditions for the future availability to make use of the now
non-existant X-TTL. Phew!"
are you for real? - i mean its not
that we(and also the majestic we - I) have a right on cross-brand ttl...
because at the time, when most of the V6II users bought those devices.
There was no word about cross-brand-TTL
but to me, that looks
like a subtle lie...(incompatibility?? i mean its a protocol like every
other, if you would want to you could translate it the same way you do
it with every other protocol)
and my good guess is, that you may made
a deal with pentax... so the Brand and its TTL dont sink like the
pirates in "asterix the gaul." but i have the slight feeling that my
chances on an honest answer are more than thin.
I hope that we agree, that we are all grown-ups and you dont have to feel offended by my honest oppinion.
I wont feel real bad if you are not able to state something else like the joke you brought in the last answer...which was:
"Pentax camera & flash system DOES NOT support cross-brand TTL" ... i had to laugh for a couple of minutes... ---> see story above... :P
because
i never got very deep into programming, but i have a bit experience in
embedded programming from some arduino and raspi projects... and if I
know one thing it is: you can convert any protocol to any other protocol
if you want to...
And let me state that I sincerely hope that "Class A" will desist from stating sentences on those certain forums (PF, dp.., etc.) that will make PENTAX users think they would get the same as every others system user, if they buy into the Cactus Trigger System...
Because that would be clearly wrong.
I grant the honesty to Cactus-Image that they did not spread this rumour. since i now saw that its stated on the "X"-TTL Microsite... It just works out in a way, that you think you would get the same as everyone else...(as long as you dont show real deep interest and start fossicking around on cactus-image community forum)
even if it looks like the usual "small print" to me.
again, i am not mad about how it works out, because havin the Cactus V6II work as a remote P-TTL transmitter is fine for me,
but to me it very much looks like that you promote the "soup of all flavours" but in the end its just chicken broth with a bit of wasabi.
And if its a coincidence(LOL) or not, I am certainly happy about the way it is, because actually somehow its good for the Pentax brand if you think about it "on a galactic scale"... )
off-camera TTL flash photography is over – TTL without boundaries.'
I accept there are technical challenges in the execution, and it's manifested by having to reverse-engineer the protocols, but the site is presently misleading in terms of the functionality it suggests to potential customers, which constitutes misleading advertising.
This really needs to be urgently rectified as it does not reflect the capabilities of the product.
Pentax is a university student with good grades. He is smart, diligent, and despite old fashioned at times, he's able to finish a 10,000 words essay in under an hour so he always do his homework last minute. Yet he still gets an A+ most of the time.
Brand Manager
Show me one post I made in which I made claims that stretch the truth. Perhaps, possibly early on I shared Cactus' plans to introduce X-TTL to all camera systems? However, at the time no one, I understand that includes Cactus, had reason to believe that there would be limitations.
I can relate to your disappointment but your frustration does not give you the right to badmouth other people.
P.S.: I think you did well to remember that the V6II was initially only sold as a manual trigger. To complain that a free ($0, no cost, gratis) firmware upgrade only gives you P-TTL for Pentax-compatible flashes and the RF60(x) (with the latter also being upgraded to a P-TTL flash for free (no expense, zero spending, you get the idea)), is a bit rich.
Again, I understand your frustration but please don't insinuate that I mislead people on forums.
the most confusing thing may be how the timeline-illustration depicts it...
you should take out that black Square that says PENTAX and put a box there that says:
Cactus V6II can now act as the worlds first worldwide-available P-TTL(full control, all functions) transceiver system....
AND AGAIN: THANKS SO MUCH for letting us PENTAXIANS have that at least.
(i know it was never promised when the Cactus V6II never hit the market)
and i had a talk with some secretary from that guy that is sipping pina coladas...
... he said, it is most likely that developer only have to ask and heavily insist... then they will get help. and RICOH actually should lay out the protocol to you guys.
Maybe he sent somebody else sunbathing, because some mad ex-girlfriend is stalking him...
-> wrong guy in the chair you phoned to.
You should follow starlords example as shown here.
@Antonio Since we both seem to like allegorys, it came to my mind that this song about the Pina Colada lover, may be how it works out. (between Cactus and Pentax)
Like a worn-out recording, of a favorite song
So while she lay there sleeping, I read the paper in bed
And in the personals column, there was this letter I read
If you´re not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape
I´m the love that you´ve looked for, write to me, and escape"
I´ve got to meet you by tomorrow noon, and cut through all this red tape
At a bar called O'Malley's, where we´ll plan our escape"
I knew her smile in an instant, I knew the curve of her face
It was my own lovely lady, and she said, "Ah. Oh, it´s you"
Then we laughed for a moment, and I said,
And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape
You´re the love that I´ve looked for, come with me, and escape"
I understand that Fujifilm will introduce at the end of november a FW-Update for the a.m. models.
This update will include:
<< Improve radio flash controller usability
The upgrade allows users to shoot with compatible third party studio
flash in high speed sync. or TTL mode via their radio controllers. >>
Will this update have any effect on the present X-TTL software?
Thanks vm in advance
Helmut
Brand Manager