Remote Flash triggering

[Oren]

I have an old starblitz 2200BA minitwin flash which has a triggering voltage of about 230V and I would like to be able to remotely trigger it using my 50D.


I think that this [url="http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=17204&amp;cat=0&amp;page=1]Cactus Wireless Flash Trigger Set V4[/url] is what I need - it says in the receiver specifications "<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"]Flash voltage handling: up to 300 volts".





Is that what I need? Anyone has any experience with this set or at least some similar Cactus product? (hint: Sean? :P)

[Sean Setters]

lol! When I saw the title of this thread, I actually thought to myself, "Hey, there's athread I might actually be helpful on!"


As far as I know, yes, if the Cactus V4 is rated to 300V, and the flash triggers at 230V, you should be fine. I know I was hesitantto connect my Cybersyncs to an older Vivitar 285 (non-HV) flash as they have a wide range of sync voltages up to and above the Cybersync's 300V max. I tested it with a voltage meter before connecting it to the Cybersync receiver just to make sure.


Keep in mind I've never owned a set of V4s. Some people have gotten excellent V4 units; some have not. I would read up on the Cactus V4 thread on the strobist flickr forum before I pulled the trigger. You might also consider the CTR-301p units that you can buy on ebay. They're very similar to the Cactus V4s except they have a built-in optical slave sensor (which can be handy). They can even be modded fairly easily for somewhat better performance. However, I've never come across the max-sync voltage of the CTR-301ps. I think they'd be fine, but then again, it might not be worth the gamble for you to find out. ;-)

[Oren]

"some have not" - what does that mean? Buying a Cactus product is a gamble? I thought the Cactus brand was a well known brand you could trust on [*-)]

[Sean Setters]

You know, I used the Cactus V2s units for quite some time. They worked well for a while, misfiring occasionally. However, the more receiver units you use the more chance there is of one failing to fire. Plus, the build quality isn't made for hard use. They started falling apart.


Many people are quite happy with Cactus products...it's a great way to [cheaply] get into off-camera flash photography. Then there comes a time when you've got multiple strobes essential to the shot triggering via radio and you need all the range &amp; reliability you can get. At that point, Cybersyncs, Pocketwizards, and Skyports are there for you.