Getting some new cactus receivers!!! :D

[bhursey]

Im finally excited to say that my sb-24 is gonna be put back to work.. I bought a transmitter receiver set with an extra receiver from midwest photo exchanges ebay site.. only 59$... Now I have 2 transmitters 3 receivers... I did the 2 transmitters as a backup. Don't want to be stuck with one failing on a shoot.

So now I can trigger 3 flashes via radio.. I just acquired a Vivitar 283.. without the vera power vp-1 module :/ So it will fire at 1/1... So I guess I could use nd filters. Basically what im saying with the optical trigger on the DF400MZ I could technically use 4 flashes...

Right now im thinking my portrait setup will be one key light, one hair light on a boom, and a bg light with gels...

Also want to try clam shell lighting...

Wondering what other setups you all would try?

[bhursey]

Just got them in the mail they work using the test button perfectly. Got to try them with the flashes tonight. The build quality of the receiver seems better more solid and they added a nice feature I missed from last time. Now you know if it is on if you slide the slider and it shows red below where the slider was. Before I had to engrave an on off naming in the plastic with a exacto knife..

[zona5101]

congrats on the new gear.
The 283 could be your softbox light. the box will cut down the out put quite a bit and you can fine tune by changing distance...or if you have a translucent reflector you can put the 283 behind the reflector and shoot through it as a "high key" background or as a fill or main light. The downside of manual will of course be recycle time and battery consumption. It will be fun to experiment with your new recieves and see what all you can do with the 283.

[candleman]

sweet,

which cactus triggers did you buy?
i have the V4's ...excellent trigers IMHO.

[bhursey]

V4's.... I already had one set already bought the first batch back in 2009.. They are much more solid now..

[candleman]

hmm. thats good.
i'm considerig geting a back-up transmitter soon... so thats good to hear they are improving it.

[bhursey]

Well finally tested them. They trigger great as expected. I also took some new /old photos of the receivers so you can see the physical differences. It definitely looks like they improved the mold and its different. And they don't feel as cheep. The battery cover does not come off as easy so it does not seem like it would fall off during moving around during shoots like it has in the past. You can tell when it is on and off now. I never noticed that indeed there is red showing when the old cactus receiver is on. its just such a small switch and to faint to see. Now its easy to see it.. As you see before I had to scratch on and off into my old one for reference.




New is on the left, old is on the right. I bought the first batch the day the cactus trigger was first released in 2009.