› ›

Sigma DP Merrill not syncing

MrDouhMrDouh
in RF60X Problems
Hello there !

I recently bought the three DP Merrill cameras (DP1M, DP2M and DP3M) for second hand.

As you developped a Sigma TTL firmware (thanks for that btw !), I decided to buy the Cactus V6II transmitter with a RF60X to obtain both manual and TTL flash solution along with those wonderfull little Foveon cameras.

The V6II transmitter works fine as it receives all the cameras info when I shoot, the RF60X flash works fine as it gets triggered by the transmitter each and every time I shoot... but the flash doesn't appears in my pictures most of the time.

Here is an exemple :

I want to shoot indoor at night with few lights on

Sigma DPM at ISO 100, F2.8, 1/180 : picture is black without a flash.
I put my V6II transmitter on TTL, transmitter and flash on same channel and same ID, batteries are fully charged...

- 1st shot : flash triggers, black frame
- 2nd shot : flash triggers, black frame
- 3rd shot : flash triggers, black frame
- 4th shot : flash triggers and appears in the frame
- 5th shot : flash triggers and appears in the frame
- 6th shot : flash triggers, black frame

... and it continues like this : the flash does appears rarely and randomly without me changing a single setup on camera or on transmitter

I tried short or long range radio, changing radio channel... doesn't change anything

Sigma's firmwares are up to date, V6II and RF60X where updated a month ago, V6II does have the sigma firmware for TTL.

Sigma DP Merrils does have leaf shutter, so it shouldn't have sync issue (syncing with flash up to 1/2000 at f5.6 or 1/600 at f2.8)

It feels like the flash fires a moment before the shutter opens... Or after ? Radio delay maybe ?...

I don't understand why the flash doesn't appears on pictures, and why sometimes they magically appears !

Thanks in advance ! I hope someone can help me considering those sigmas are not so common

Comments

  • MrDouhMrDouh
    Excuse me I forgot to tell you the firmware versions, here they are :

    - RF60X : v103
    - V6II : SIG. 1.002
  • AntonioAntonio
    Thank you very much for reporting your experience. I have just forwarded it to our R&D team to follow up. 

    In the meantime could you check if there's a good connection between camera and the V6 II in TX mode?

    When you adjust camera zoom, ISO or aperture values, do numbers pop up on V6 II's LCD?

    Thank you
    .
    Antonio Lao
    Brand Manager
    _____________

    To help us better help you, always state the exact firmware version installed on your Cactus device(s), such as: "1.1.013", "NIK.A.001", "v.103", or "A06".

    TTL or HSS not working on Cactus V6 II and V6 IIs? Be sure to check hot shoe connectivity by doing the <CAMERA INFO> check.

    Feel free to suggest an improvement or share product ideas. Contact us directly at info@cactus-image.com.  At Cactus, we listen. 
  • MrDouhMrDouh
    Hello Antonio, thank you for your answer

    When I modify my camera ISO and aperture, the exact same values does pop up on the V6II immediatly without any issue. For the zoom, Sigmas dp merrill does have prime lenses, but the focal of the camera seems to be recognize on V6II information.

    But now that you're asking me about this, I noticed the camera seems to have an issue maintaining communication with the transmitter (even if the parameters infos does pop-up accordingly)...

    For comparison :

    When I connect the official merrill flash - the Sigma EF140DG - on my DP merrill, the flash icon does appears on the left. This icon stays and I can enter the flash menu to configure it without any issue.

    But when I connect the V6II in TX mode (and Sigma firmware ofc), this same flash icon appears for few seconds, then disappears, re-appears and disappears constantly (for 2-3s each time, sometimes for a bit longer).

    In the camera menu, the flash option does the same when I connect the V6II :
    Flash menu appears white, then grey, then white, etc. I can go into the flash menu when it's in white, but when the flash menu goes grey, it kicks me out of the flash menu if I'm inside it.

    I have this issue with the three dp merrills I have (bought all of them from different persons).

    Maybe this issue troubles the camera and V6II shutter syncing ? I tried to shoot when the flash icon doesn't disappear for few seconds, but it doesn't seems to work...


  • MrDouhMrDouh
    edited November 2017
    A bit more infos for you and the R&D team :

    I tried multiple flash duration in manual mode rather than TTL this time :

    RF60X's flash seems to appears in my picture almost flawlessly at 1/4, 1/2 and full power.
    At 1/8, it's still good, but more frames are missing the flash apparition.
    From 1/16 to 1/258, flash appears way less often (but it still triggers the flash ofc).

    I noticed a difference when flash appears in picture : RF60X seems to flash twice (both on TTL and in manual mode). When this double flash happens, flash appears to be synced with the shutter (or at least is long enough to become visible). This double flash happens more often with long duration flash.

    When my picture is black, RF60X seems to flash only once and briefly, both in manual and TTL mode, and this situation happens more often with short duration flash (1/8, 1/16 and faster).

    I know what you might think, maybe I'm not waiting long enough for the recycle time ? It may have happened of course, but the issue does appears for my first shot, and also when I'm waiting a long time (and with full batteries)...

    I thought double flash was only something for TTL (pre-flash, then adjusted flash) or Second curtain sync flash, but here it happens in manual mode...

    The V6II is configured this way :

    Sync mode : HSS off
    Exposure lock : flash compensate (I don't quite understand this option)
    Relay, Delay and Multi-Flash : OFF
    Flash mode : mixed TTL / Manual
    Power mode : relative

    Hope it'll help
  • AntonioAntonio
    Quick reply about the double flash you noticed even in "manual mode" - this is actually normal.

    Despite the flash is being manually controlled in "manual" mode, but the flash is connected to the V6 II in TTL mode. So what you saw is indeed the pre-flash.

    RF60X only fires a pre-flash when operating in TTL mode. When manually adjusting power, there's no pre-flash. It's probably done quick that you did not see it.

    In the meantime I will ask R&D to look into the connection issue you mentioned in the message above.

    Thank you for your understanding during this time.
     
    Antonio Lao
    Brand Manager
    _____________

    To help us better help you, always state the exact firmware version installed on your Cactus device(s), such as: "1.1.013", "NIK.A.001", "v.103", or "A06".

    TTL or HSS not working on Cactus V6 II and V6 IIs? Be sure to check hot shoe connectivity by doing the <CAMERA INFO> check.

    Feel free to suggest an improvement or share product ideas. Contact us directly at info@cactus-image.com.  At Cactus, we listen. 
  • mblusimmblusim
    edited January 2018
    Hello Antonio, thank you for your answer

    When I modify my camera ISO and aperture, the exact same values does pop up on the V6II immediatly without any issue. For the zoom, Sigmas dp merrill does have prime lenses, but the focal of the camera seems to be recognize on V6II information.

    But now that you're asking me about this, I noticed the camera seems to have an issue maintaining communication with the transmitter (even if the parameters infos does pop-up accordingly)...

    For comparison :

    When I connect the official merrill flash - the Sigma EF140DG - on my DP merrill, the flash icon does appears on the left. This icon stays and I can enter the flash menu to configure it without any issue.

    But when I connect the V6II in TX mode (and Sigma firmware ofc), this same flash icon appears for few seconds, then disappears, re-appears and disappears constantly (for 2-3s each time, sometimes for a bit longer).

    In the camera menu, the flash option does the same when I connect the V6II :
    Flash menu appears white, then grey, then white, etc. I can go into the flash menu when it's in white, but when the flash menu goes grey, it kicks me out of the flash menu if I'm inside it.

    I have this issue with the three dp merrills I have (bought all of them from different persons).

    Maybe this issue troubles the camera and V6II shutter syncing ? I tried to shoot when the flash icon doesn't disappear for few seconds, but it doesn't seems to work...



    MrDouh you solved? I have the same problems with dp2 merrill

  • MrDouhMrDouh
    Hello mblusim,

    Still not solved, as no new firmware did come out for Sigma. But I'm sure their team is on it. Well I hope !

    As I took photos for Christmas with the Merrills and the RF60X, I loaded the general cross-band HSS firmware for the V6 II instead of the Sigma firmware, so I couldn't use TTL, but I could do everything in manual and it worked perfectly (but a bit hard to work for family photos without TTL)

    As I didn't get black frames with the cross-band HSS firmware, I guess the issue comes from the Sigma firmware of the V6 II, and not the actual physical connection between the Merrills and the transmitter
  • AntonioAntonio
    AFAIK the Sigma Merrills series of camera models do not support HSS.  

    Only Quattro series are supported. 

    We are indeed working on an updated firmware version for Sigma, but it will come in on new protocol platform, as SIG.A.001. 

    Thank you!
    Antonio Lao
    Brand Manager
    _____________

    To help us better help you, always state the exact firmware version installed on your Cactus device(s), such as: "1.1.013", "NIK.A.001", "v.103", or "A06".

    TTL or HSS not working on Cactus V6 II and V6 IIs? Be sure to check hot shoe connectivity by doing the <CAMERA INFO> check.

    Feel free to suggest an improvement or share product ideas. Contact us directly at info@cactus-image.com.  At Cactus, we listen. 
  • MrDouhMrDouh
    edited January 2018
    AFAIK the Sigma Merrills series of camera models do not support HSS.  

    Only Quattro series are supported. 

    We are indeed working on an updated firmware version for Sigma, but it will come in on new protocol platform, as SIG.A.001. 

    Thank you!
    Ok for HSS, although I didn't try to use it (I guess we don't really need HSS with the leaf shutter of those jewels). But the HSS firmware didn't have the issue with black frames in contrary of the Sigma TTL firmware even when working without TTL.

    By the way, thanks for the update Antonio, I'm really glad to hear those words even if Sigma is not a huge market to your company, it's becoming uncommon nowadays !

    Have a nice day
  • AntonioAntonio
    Thanks @MrDouh,

    We will cross-check the compatibility you mentioned prior the release of SIG.A.001 (from SIG.1.002). Thank you for your understanding during this time.


    About the support of Sigma cameras, I guess that's one of Cactus' raison d'etre, in catering the often neglected groups.  In our study of the Sigma camera system, we are blessed to have the support from Sigma Japan. 

    Thank you again for choosing Cactus



    Antonio Lao
    Brand Manager
    _____________

    To help us better help you, always state the exact firmware version installed on your Cactus device(s), such as: "1.1.013", "NIK.A.001", "v.103", or "A06".

    TTL or HSS not working on Cactus V6 II and V6 IIs? Be sure to check hot shoe connectivity by doing the <CAMERA INFO> check.

    Feel free to suggest an improvement or share product ideas. Contact us directly at info@cactus-image.com.  At Cactus, we listen. 
Sign In or Register to comment.